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Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

AIPAD Photography Show, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Chocolate Factory & Armstrong at LeFrak, and Next Week Sculpture Center Gala & Mets Home Opener in Queens; Luna Amusement Park Opens & Rachel Wren Exhibit in Brooklyn, Pregones Music Fest Ends Friday, Bronx Art Space Exhibit Closing Reception Saturday, NYBG Orchid Show in the Bronx; 5K Run on Staten Island, Palm Sunday, Passover Wednesday & Ramadan Continues

 

March 31, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten Island things to do events nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will rise from 50 on Friday, to 70 on Saturday, falling back to 50 on Sunday. The temperature lows will range between the mid and high 30's all weekend. The winds will range from 10 - 15 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from about 80% Friday, to 70% Saturday to 40% Sunday. There will be scattered thunder showers Saturday ending around noon and with a brief return between 7 and 9 pm Saturday night, otherwise lookin' good.

The photos in this report were taken at an AIPAD show in a prior year. See below for details.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday, March 31st, the AIPAD [Association of International Photography Art Dealers] Show opens at Center 415 at 415 5th Avenue. The show ends on Sunday, April 2nd.

Through Saturday, April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.

aipad photography show manhattan things to do manhattan nyc association of international photography art dealers manhattan nycOPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various times at the NYU Skirball Center there's Phelim McDermott & Philip Glass: Tao of Glass which is a combination of music, dance and theatrical performance. The event is described as, " ... This New York Premiere marries ten new works from Glass with ten theatrical meditations on life, death, and Taoist wisdom. Performed by McDermott with a virtuosic ensemble of musicians and puppeteers, Tao of Glass is a storytelling tapestry, underscored by Glass’s mesmerizing music, and shot through with Improbable’s trademark magical stagecraft ...". For details and $78 - $98 tickets see - https://nyuskirball.org.

OPEN CALL. From March 1 - June 1, 2023, there's an Open Call by the Asian American Film Lab in a project they've entitled the 72 Hour Shoot Out. Early bird entries begin at $25, rising to $50 by April & $75 May. For details see - https://www.asianamericanfilmlab.com/

Next Week. From Friday, April 7 - Sunday, April 16 from 10 am - 10 pm, except Sundays when it closes at 7 pm, the International Auto Show will be at the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan. For $21 adults / $7 kids tickets and details see - https://javitscenter.com/

The first Manhattan street fair of the 2023 season begins on the Upper West Side this weekend.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

Luna Park Amusement Park at Coney Island opens Friday, March 31, 2023 from 12 noon - 8 pm. It's open 11 am - 8 pm weekends in April and all week between the Christian and Orthodox Easter Sundays [April 9 - 16].

The Rachel Wren exhibit continues at The Shirley Project Space at 609 Washington Avenue [at Dean Street] in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn NY. On view from March 23 - May 12, 2023. Free.

The Brooklyn street fairs of the 2023 season, begin this month.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday evening there's a Green Space performance on UES. For tickets and details see - https://www.greenspacestudio.org/

March 27 - April 8th beginning at 7 pm, The Chocolate Factory at 38-33 24th Street in LIC is hosting performances of Night Keeper, a modern dance performance. For event details and $20 tickets see https://chocolatefactorytheater.org.

On Saturday, April 1, 2023 there's a concert entitled Armstrong Now at the LeFrak Concert Hall at Queens College in Flushing. For details and $25 tickets see - https://kupferbergcenter.org

On Sunday, April 2nd beginning at 4 pm, there's the Miss Greek Independence Pageant at the Stathakeion Center at 22-51 29th Street in Astoria Queens. If I'm not mistaken, this is where they choose one of the key Greek Independence Day parade participants. For details see - http://hellenicsocieties.org/

Next Week. On Tuesday, April 4th, the Sculpture Center is hosting its Annual Gala at 44-12 Purves Street in LIC. For further details and tickets see - https://www.sculpture-center.org/.

Next Week. On Thursday, April 6th, beginning at 1.10 pm, the NY Mets play the Miami Marlins at CitiField in their home opening game of the 2023 season.

The first Queens street fair of the 2023 season begins in Forest Hills this weekend.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday beginning at 7 pm the Roadside & Pregones will perform,at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. The event is billed as "... First-gen Appalachian artists of Roadside in Kentucky (1975-2020) and Puerto Rican artists of Pregones in The Bronx boast over 30 years of friendship on and off stage ... we revisit great moments in our history with Old Time Music master Ron Short, Afro-Puerto Rican Jazz artist Desmar Guevara, poet/emcee Caridad “La Bruja” De La Luz, and a bevy of other formidable guests". For $18 - $36 tickets see - https://pregonesprtt.org/.

On Saturday, April 1st, there's a closing party for the exhibit entitled Queer Nature at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit see - http://www.bronxartspace.com.

Through April 23rd, the Orchid Show will be at the New York Botanical Garden. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.

The Bronx street fairs of the 2023 season, begin this month.

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday morning beginning at 8 am / 9 am / 9.30 am there's a 5 K Run at Clove Lakes Park for the Arnold Obey/RUMC 5K Run/Walk benefiting the Wayne Zenna Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island. All are welcome.

The first Staten Island street fair of the 2023 Spring season begins on April 8th in the Charleston neighborhood.

Enjoy.


NYC Street Fairs to Begin This Weekend

March 29, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Shopping / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend street fairs begin. We're in the process of getting organized to publish them, as well as to provide a bit more visibility on them than we did last year. We'll also be adding in a few maps. We should have this weekend posted sometime Friday 3/31/23. We should get better as the year progresses. Thanks for your patience.

Our coverage of them will be updated weekly - Manhattan street fairs, Queens street fairs, Brooklyn street fairs, Bronx street fairs, Staten Island street fairs.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Street Fairs Begin, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit at FIT in Manhattan; Bayside St Patrick's Day Parade & Rough Draft Festival continues at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center Queens; Bay Ridge St Patrick's Day Parade, Rachel Wren Exhibit & Final Performance of Lorraine Hansberry Play Tonight in Brooklyn, March is Music Month at Pregones, Bronx Art Space Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature, NYBG Orchid Show & Yankees Home Opener in the Bronx; on Staten Island & The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Began Thursday

nyc things to do manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten Island things to do events nyc

March 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be around 50 on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60 on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 40's all weekend. The wind will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will be 40% - 50% on Friday and Sunday, popping up to around 80% on Saturday. There will be about a half inch of rain on Saturday, spread out over the course of the day from around 9 am to 11 pm, so you can likely do whatever you plan to, without any serious rain interruption.

The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began yesterday [Thursday 3/23/23] and will continue until Friday, April 21. Ramadan is a month where Muslims fast, pray and reflect on their lives. Not unlike the Christian Lent.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, beginning at 3 pm and 7.30 pm, the Neville Dance Theatre Company will perform a half dozen different works choreographed to the works of various female composers at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center at 248 West 60th Street on the UWS. The works include world premieres and the program is entitled, Celebrating Woman Composers. For $28 / $28 tickets and details see - https://www.nevilledance.org/.

Through Saturday, April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.

OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

On Monday, March 27, at 6.30 pm the United Palace will be " ... official[ly] unveiling ... four new digital monitors and two illuminated attraction boxes that upgrade the theatre’s ability to communicate with passersby ...".

On Friday, March 31st, the AIPAD [Association of International Photography Art Dealers] Show opens at Center 415 at 415 5th Avenue. The show ends on Sunday, April 2nd.

FYI - Our Manhattan street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. Grand Bazaar on Columbus and West 77th Street opens Sunday, March 6th at 10 am.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn nyc brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn0 st patricks day parties brooklyn st pat's day pubs bars restaurants brooklyn nyc irish pubs Dumbo, Williamsburg, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Greenwood Heights, Gowanus, Downtown Brooklyn, Sunset Park, Bayridge, Marine Park, Coney Island st pats day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn LAST PERFORMANCE. On Friday at 7.30 pm there is the last performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.

On Sunday, March 26, 2023 the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at 1 pm on 3rd and Marine Avenues and marches north along 3rd Avenue to 67th Street ending in Owl's Head Park in Bayridge. This parade was first established in 1993. For further details see - https://www.brparade.com/

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Brooklyn NYC.

The photo at right was taken at the 2022 St Pats Parade in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn.

FYI - Our Brooklyn street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday, beginning at 8 pm, Octogenarian Women of Jazz, will perform at Flushing Town Hall at 137-35 Northern Blvd. For $15 / $10 tickets see - https://www.flushingtownhall.org

Saturday, March 25, 2023 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its fifth or sixth year [2023]. For further details see their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade as their website as of this post on 2.28.23 is currently having issues - www.baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens.

FYI - Our Queens street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. HBCU College Fair beginning at 11 am this Saturday 3/25/23 in Rochdale Village.

NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 7.30 pm, there will be performances by eight emerging dancers / choreographers at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The event is described as follows, " ... The Emerging Choreographer Series is an intensive crash-course in self-producing; offering rehearsal space, compensation, career development consultations, and professional mentorship to selected choreographers. During the course of the program, choreographers will create, develop, and premiere a new work at CUNY’s LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in Long Island City. The program is free of charge—no application fees, no production fees, and no rental costs will be charged to the applicants or selected choreographers ...". Next week we get to see these folks perform. Pre-Sale [$20] and regular [$30] tickets may be purchased at - https://www.lpac.nyc.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

March is Music Month at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm the Villalobos Brothers will perform, "... Contemporary Mexican [music including] ... jazz, harmonies ... ". And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Siyumeng Wang whose performance is described as a classical piano concert. For $18 - $36 and $0 - $36 tickets see - https://pregonesprtt.org/.

NEXT WEEK. On Friday, March 31st, the final concert of the March is Music Month at Pregones will be performed. It's billed as Appalachian / Puerto Rican. See listing above for address / website / tickets.

An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.

The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.

There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].

NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, March 30th, beginning at 1.05 pm, the NY Yankees play the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium in their opening game of the 2023 season.

FYI - Our Bronx street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter.

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday from 3 - 4.15 pm at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, Main Hall Gallery, Building C in the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, there will be a modern dance performance by Nathan Trice & Co, an NYC-based choreographer.

On Saturday, from 1 - 2 pm there will be a lecture about the life of Mary of the Olmsted Beil House at the Alice Austen House Museum at 2 Hylan Blvd in the Rosebank neighborhood of Staten Island. Mary Cleveland Olmsted was the wife of Frederick Olmsted who was one of the original American landscape architects, who designed Central and Prospect Parks. Free. For details see https://aliceausten.org.

On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Mike Agranoff whose performances are described as, " ... a superb fingerstyle guitar in idioms ranging from traditional fiddle tunes to the American Songbook to contemporary Americana. He is a master of the little-known English Concertina, applying it anywhere from a haunting and poignant song accompaniment to an unexpected virtuoso transcription of a Bach concerto.......". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

FYI - Our Staten Island street fairs schedule will be updated this weekend / next week, with weekly updates happening thereafter. Eg. There's a fair on Saturday from 9 am - 3 pm at Immanuel Union Church at 693 Jewett Avenue, which is in the National Register of Historic places. For details see - https://immanuelunionchurch.org/.

Have a good one.



NYC Farmers Markets 2023

Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons

nyc farmers markets nyc farmers markets green markets 2021 nycMarch 21, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

With taxes just ahead of us, we begin thinking about the warmer weather and spending more time outside, after a few months of relatively limited activity.

Throughout the pandemic the farmers markets remained open, since they were classified as essential businesses, and because they are held outdoors, so they were considered less of a potential breeding ground for CoVid. Last year, while most farmers markets remained open, some curtailed hours, and a few went on hiatus or completely closed down.

To inform you as to which farmers markets are returning and which are not, we've kept the closed farmers markets on our pages.  We denote those farmers markets that are closed and suggest whether they are likely to reopen - for the few closed ones that may yet reopen. The rest is an update for the 2023 season of NYC farmers markets, including opening and closing dates / times, food selections, payment options and related services like composting and clothing collection for those who are trying to do their best to help save our planet.

We'll update these pages again as we enter the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May / June and again in July. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Enjoy.

FIRST UPDATE OF 2023 coming this week.

Bronx Farmers Markets NYC

Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC

Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC

Queens Farmers Markets NYC

Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC


 

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

St Patrick's Day Parade, Chain Theatre Performance Continues, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; 40 Shades of Irish Green & Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens; a Half Marathon Race, Lorraine Hansberry Play Performances & Rachel Wren Opening Art Reception in Brooklyn, an Art Exhibit about Homosexuality in Nature & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; St Pat's Weekend Irish Stout Concert and St Pats Weekend Bar Crawl for All on Staten Island & the First Day of Spring Comes Monday

st pats day parade manhattan nycMarch 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the low 50's on Saturday and the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, and the low 30's for the rest of the weekend. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, and then 10 - 15 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will drop from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 40% on Saturday and between 30% - 40% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The first official day of Spring is Monday, March 20, 2023. In the yogic tradition, spring is considered a time of renewal and transformation.

The photos included with this report are from a Manhattan St Patrick's Day Parade in an earlier year. Erin go Bragh which means Ireland Forever. Have a good one, which means a safe one, which means being respectful of others.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

st pats day parade manhattan nycFriday, March 17th, beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough. For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/

Click here for Irish bars and pubs in Manhattan, see - St Pat's Day Bars, Restaurants & Irish Pubs Manhattan NYC.

Through Saturday, April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.

OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

On Sunday, March 19th from 6.50 am - 9.20 am beginning in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the gates to four waves of runners for the Half Marathon race organized by NY Road Runners open. The runners head northwest from Prospect Park, crossing Manhattan Bridge, and running up the FDR to 42nd Street where they head to Times Square before turnning north toward Central Park, where the race ends in Central Park in Manhattan between noon and 1.30 pm. It's too late to register to run, but you can watch along the route on Sunday. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org.

There's an International Vision Expo at the Javits Center 429 11th Avenue at 35th Street. It's billed as where eyecare meets eyewear, and education, fashion, innovation and ophthalmic professionals mingle.

NEXT WEEK. A Federal Reserve meeting to discuss public investments in Education. The first is on education on Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 4.30 - 5.30 pm. The event is described as follows, " ... a hybrid event exploring how investments in children’s growth and development can save society money and lead to better health and economic outcomes. David Erickson of the New York Fed will discuss his new book, “The Fifth Freedom: Guaranteeing an Opportunity-Rich Childhood for All.” Speakers will discuss how good schools, well-funded libraries, safe streets, and quality healthcare can pay long-term social dividendsRegistration closes Monday, March 20th for live and online attendance..". Free.

Afford.

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

st pats day parade manhattan nycNext Friday, March 17th at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson near Vernon Blvd in Long Island City there's a St Patricks Day Celebration entitled '40 Shades of Green', from 3 - 9 pm. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org.

Next Friday, March 17th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.

On Saturday, March 18th from 1 - 4 pm, Women's Work at King Manor in Jamaica, Queens. A look at the work colonial women did. Free.

On Sunday, March 19th from 2.30 - 4.30 pm, Bix on the Big Screen at the Kingsland Homestead in Flushing. A film about a 1920's Sunnyside resident and famous jazz musician, Bix Biederbecke. Tickets $7 / $3.

On Sunday, March 19th from 3.30 - 8 pm and possibly beyond. A film, interactive event including refreshments and socializing, entitled NYC Five-Borough ‘Together, Not Alone – Zip Codes Remember’ Tour. At The Local at 13-02 44th Avenue in Long Island City. Free but you must register to attend -

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCWgTirwa15RtkD8m8_FNagvRstwqJfMKKf-2oy3BviXZU7g/viewform

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

st pats day parade manhattan nycOn Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org. Performances end March 24, 2023.

On Sunday, March 19th from 6.50 am - 9.20 am beginning in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the gates to four waves of runners for the Half Marathon race organized by NY Road Runners open. The runners head northwest from Prospect Park, crossing Manhattan Bridge, and running up the FDR to 42nd Street where they head to Times Square before turnning north toward Central Park, where the race ends in Central Park in Manhattan between noon and 1.30 pm. It's too late to register to run, but you can watch along the route on Sunday. For details see - https://www.nyrr.org.

NEXT WEEK. On Thurday, March 23rd at PS 9 in Prospect Heights, Assemblymember Robert Carroll is hosting a community meeting to discuss whatever ails you. To rsvp a spot and find out what time it is, see - Carrollr@nyassembly.gov.

NEXT WEEK. On Thurday, March 23rd theres an Opening Reception for a Rachel Wren exhibit from 6 - 9 pm at The Shirley Project Space at 609 Washington Avenue [at Dean Street] in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn NY. On view from March 23 - May 12, 2023. Free.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

st pats day parade manhattan nycMarch is Music Month at the Pregones PRTT Theater at 575 Walton Avenue in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm Manuel Valera and his band, which they desribe as, "... New Cuban Express, creates a unique and distinctive style that mixes elements of Jazz, R&B, fusion, funk, and Cuban music... ". And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Chantal Balestri whose performance is described as follows, " ... a versatile classical musician [who] ... will play works by Schubert, Franz, and Schumann ... ". For $18 - $36 and $0 - $36 tickets see - https://pregonesprtt.org/.

On Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins. For further details see their website at - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org/

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx NYC.

An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.

There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

st pats day parade manhattan nycOn Friday night, from 7 pm - 12 midnight, The Pride Center at 59 Wright Street on Staten Island is hosting the Spring Bling [kiki] Ball. There will be music and dancing. No admission was noted, but for more info and details see - https://twitter.com/pridecenterSI. They also have a website but this and the following event aren't posted there. https://www.pridecentersi.org

On Saturday, from 11 am - 3 pm, starting at Jodys Club at 372 Forest Avenue there's the first Crawl for All St Patricks Day weekend bar crawl. The event is being organized by folks associated with the Pride Center of Staten Island who would like the St Patricks Day parade on Staten Island, to join all other St Patricks Day parades in NYC, by eliminating the discriminatory practice of forbidding people who are both members of Irish and LGBTQ communities, from participating in the parade. Inclusivity rather than exclusivity. Because the Staten Island St Pat's Day Parade continues to lose both audience and participation, the organizers wanted to mitigate some of the St Pat's Parade business losses by local businesses, by organizing the Crawl for All. For details see - https://twitter.com/pridecenterSI.

On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by The Irish Stout and who are described as, " ... Bob Conroy, Norm & Jean Pederson, Jason Wickersty, and Chris Browne, performing new and old traditional Irish songs and tunes. Accompanied by Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Ukulele, Mandolin, Irish Flute and Bodhran......". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

The Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For $10 / $5 tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

Have a good one.


Governor Hochul Scraps the Ill Conceived LGA - Willets Point Air Train

Former Governor Cuomo's Air Train Seemed More About Catering to the Whims of the Billionaire Class, than in Streamlining Public Transit

March 15, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

CTA subway line from downtown chicago to O'Hare Airport nyc public transit air train lgaIn 2017 I attended a Community Board meeting in Astoria where our urban planners talked about new improvements coming to LaGuardia Airport. Since then a number of those plans have come to fruition. But one of them, what at the time was called the third phase, the Air Train to LGA, has not. Use the link to see the thinking nearly six years ago when the plans had been drafted and the construction was about to begin. I'm happy to say that we flagged and reported to you a number of the issues with the LGA Air Train early on, which we've included in the list below.

The photo at right shows the CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] subway that runs along the Kennedy Expressway from downtown Chicago to O'Hare Airport which vies with Atlanta for the title of the busiest airport in the U.S..

 

The Former Emperor [Governor] had No Clothes [Sound Public Interest Rationale]

On Monday, Governor Hochul announced what was already well known and expected, which was that the Air Train shuttling between LaGuardia Airport and Flushing Meadows Corona Park, would not be built.

There were any number of good reasons why the LGA Air Train should not have been built, such as: 1) the costs of building the train would cost more than five times the original estimated cost of under $500 million to over $2.5 billion, 2) then, implicit in a number of alternatives, there was the idiocy of connecting the LGA Air Train, to the second most trafficked subway line [the #7] in NYC, which was already nearing peak capacity pre-pandemic, 3) the politically and billionaire preferred alternative destination, Willets Point on Flushing Bay, had just been cleaned up after decades of environmental pollution, and would again be threatened again, and to top it all off, 4) the politically and billionaire preferred Willets Point alternative required all of the people traveling to and from LaGuardia on public transit, to travel out to Flushing first, before circling back around to LaGuardia Airport. The billionaires who would have benefitted from this include billionaire real estate developer Stephen Ross and [now minority interest] Mets Club billionaire owners Saul B. Katz and Fred Wilpon. The new Mets baseball team owner, Steve Cohen, is also a billionaire.

 

Environmental & Community Groups Oppose Cuomo's Willets Point - LGA Air Train Plan

I recall and confirmed via Wikipedia that, "... In January 2020, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wrote to the FAA asking why 46 alternatives were rejected and noting that over 60% of the 414 public comments collected by the FAA were in opposition to the proposed routing. Democratic District Leader, Hiram Monserrate, also objected that the FAA's approval had bypassed a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure analysis ... mandated for other large projects. The same month, residents and business owners along the AirTrain's proposed route protested against the construction of the AirTrain on that route...".

In early 2021 Hudson Riverkeeper and the following community groups, Ditmars Blvd Block Association, Guardians of Flushing Bay and the Sensible Way to LGA Coalition, joined forces to slow and eventually stop the Cuomo preferred Air Train alternative, which was to be routed through billionaire controlled Willets Point.

I was far from alone in believing that things weren't right with Cuomo's preferred alternative for the Air Train via Willets Point. An August 12, 2021 Streets Blog report informed us the following,

"... Environmentalists, transit advocates, elected officials and other opponents of the LaGuardia AirTrain are cheering the dissident Port Authority of New York and New Jersey staffers who issued an open letter calling for an end to the boondoggle project and an internal investigation of any “undue influence” that departing Gov. Cuomo had on its federal approval ... Dozens of Port Authority staffers are said to have signed the August 10 missive, which was addressed to Port Authority Executive Director (and Cuomo loyalist) Rick Cotton and copied to all Port Authority commissioners. The letter landed literally hours after Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday. (Internal sources dispute the number, claiming that the number of signers is in the single digits.) ... “For too long, Gov. Cuomo and his staff have repeatedly pushed the agency to make non-transparent, politically motivated decisions, including decisions that squander the trust and money of our bondholders, customers, and the general public,” the staffers wrote in the letter ... "

 

A Bit of the Scandalous History of Willets Point Real Estate Ownership - A Story Generally Not Reported Much by the TV Teleprompter News Presenters

This destination, Willets Point, was the site where former Mayor Bloomberg misused the government power of eminent domain to wrest that valuable land from a number of small landlords of auto repair shops. After using government power and funding to essentially take away the Willets Point property from its original owners, former Mayor Bloomberg subsequently turned around and 'sold it for $1' to the billionaires / millionaires mentioned above, including Stephen Ross, as well as Saul Katz and Fred Wilpon [Mets owners at the time] who also controlled adjacent property at Willets Point near Flushing Bay.

It's worth mentioning that multi-billionaire Stephen Ross was also the primary beneficiary of another Bloomberg (using the NYC Mayor's office) real estate development project, wherein - Bloomberg aggregated the land which became Hudson Yard, by using NYC taxpayer funds and government power, which he then sold to Stephen Ross for $1, and for which Mayor Bloomberg also used NYC / NYS taxpayer funds to build a multi-billion dollar #7 subway line rail spur, to enhance the value and commercial viability of billionaire Stephen Ross's Hudson Yard. This was being done, while many other neighborhoods in dire need of mass transit in NYC, went without. Former Mayor Bloomberg also helped round up various levels of government financing for Ross's Hudson Yard development too. And these weren't the only two projects that Bloomberg used to greatly enrich Stephen Ross [and a few select others], during his term as Mayor. During Bloomberg's Mayoralty Stephen Ross's net worth skyrocketed into the billions and he started showing up as the richest NYC real estate developer. And what did the NYC taxpayer get [besides screwed]?

So ask yourself, why don't most New Yorkers know what I just reported above? Because the mainstream media is too busy extensively reporting the weather, sports scores and accidents and murders, instead of the real news. And the TV teleprompter presenters don't seem to have a clue as to what really goes on in NYC and NYS, as they - like the bad politicians - only show up in front of their cameras for photo ops, which are no real substitute for real news coverage. To me, the TV teleprompter presenters seem as inauthentic as $3 bills. But I digress.

 

Two Primary Drivers of the Rail Connection Construction Costs

air train costs prohibitive in part due to faa restrictions on construction near landing strip lga willetts point air train analysisOne of the biggest obstacles to erecting a rail connection into / out of LaGuardia is the disruption it would cause to existing commutes. Another major factor, particularly for those alternatives which provided the most direct connections into / out of Manhattan, was that a rail connection would have to tunnel below the end of LGA Runway 4-22 that stretches from the southwest section of the airport to the northeast section of the airport which ends in the East River. The reason such a tunnel is required, is because of FAA regulations surrounding construction limitations around an FAA airstrip. I picked up this information in a March 13, 2023 Engineering News Record report as well as in the FAA report noted below.

In the map at right you can see the two runways at LaGuardia and the spot where the 4-22 runway ends, which is one of the construction hurdles / issues.

 

The Best Air Train Alternative Never Made the List - But the Q70 Bus Link did & Won

There were 10 alternatives, which were described - along with their limitations - on the FAA website. If you're curious about them you can cut and paste this link to view them.

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/airports/environmental/environmental_documents/lga/EIS-ROD-LGA-NY-Access-Improvement-2021-07-21.pdf

So, instead of a new rail connection into LaGuardia Airport, the committee decided to spend an additional $500 million upgrading the Q70 bus link to LaGuardia. Does that really make sense?

 

What About Some Other Low Cost, Direct Alternative?

So first, full disclosure, this is my own conception and I've not even tested it out on anyone. You're among the first.

laguaridia air train doesn't make sense because connects to capacity constrained #7 subway line queens lga willetts point air train analysisI took a look at a map of the Astoria neighborhood which lies between Manhattan and LaGuardia. It's an area with which I'm pretty familiar. A few of the air train alternatives included connecting the Astoria Blvd and the Ditmars Blvd N / W train MTA subway stops, as the jumping off point for a rail connection to LaGuardia Airport. This makes the most sense, as both the N and W subway lines are nowhere near capacity use, like the #7 train, so there's likely enough slack to handle a significant boost in ridership, if those lines were to be used to enable a public transit rail connection to LaGuardia Airport.

I couldn't find passengers per subway line [that the MTA doesn't publish such information makes no sense to me - they seem only publish per station information], so instead I used the interval time between trains, as a proxy for how much unused capacity is in each line in the system. The #7 train is the only one that uses the rail tracks that the #7 line runs on and the trains are spaced every 2 minutes. The N / W line runs both trains on the same track, and they are spaced every 6 minutes and every 8 minutes, so you can see that the N / W could fairly easily ramp up to handle additional passenger traffic to / from LaGuardia if that subway line was chosen as the starting point to complete a public transit rail connection to LaGuardia Airport.

It's worth noting that the N / W Astoria subway stops are the nearest jumping off point from the subway system to LaGuardia Airport. Only 82nd Street in Jackson Heights and 103rd Street in Corona come close, and they are both nested on the #7 subway line. The N / W subway line proximity to the airport should minimize the amount of construction required to complete a connection from the subway to the airport.

The graphic at right shows the N line travels through Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. There are connections to the #7 if you're heading into eastern and southern Queens and connections via subway to the Bronx and Staten Island from Manhattan.

For historical reference, in 1984 Chicago built a subway line from the center of the city, to O'Hare Airport which is 16 miles away. Since then, that CTA subway line has grown to become the second most used subway line in Chicago. But it is also one of its longest lines, so that would make sense.

 

Passenger Impact on the MTA, if a Rail Connection Was Built From the MTA to LaGuardia Airport

air train scrapped in favor of bus nyc public transit air train lga willetts pointIn 2022 there were 29 million passengers [79,000 per day] who traveled through LaGuardia. And from what I could gather from some of the Air Train Analysis reports by the Port Authority PANYNJ, it appears that an estimated 10% of passengers [3 million or 8,200 riders per day] currently use public transit.

In 2019 the MTA provided 1.7 billion subway trips using 36 rail lines. So the average ridership per line [recognizing that ridership per line varies significantly] is 47 million, or about 130,000 riders per day. If every airline passenger took public transit, they would add 79,000 rider trips to the MTA per day, and if they were all carried on one average line, that would boost the ridership on that line by 61%.

Assuming I interpreted the PANYNJ LGA Air Train project estimates for public transit correctly, public transit usage would grow to about 20% - 25% of trips taken to / from LaGuardia if a rail connection were built. So that means even if all the trips to / from LGA came through just one average subway line, the ridership on that MtA line would only increase by 15%.

So, recognizing these are back of the envelope calculations, adding a rail connection from the N / W train line in Astoria wouldn't put an undue burden on those lines, vis a vis the #7 train.

The map above right shows where 19th Avenue and 81st Street meet, which could be the jumping off point for a bimodal train entry into LaGuardia Airport.

 

Setting up the BiModal Alternative - Connecting to LaGuardia Airport via Rail

LGA air train along grand central parkway near landing strip lga willetts point air train analysisGiven the FAA restrictions on construction projects near airport runways as pointed out to us by Engineering News Record report of 3/13/23 referenced above, I suggest the PANYNJ build a connecting light rail from the N/ W lines in Astoria to the edge of the airport, ending in the southwest corner of the airport, at the end of the 4-22 runway at 19th Avenue and 81st Street [see map above right]. For the residents of this area, the advantage of this rail link would be better public transit, which in turn would likely raise property values, and make for a very easy any commute into the airport for workers.

Another option would be for it to travel along the Grand Central Parkway [both of these alternatives were included in the PANYNJ study]. The CTA [Chicago Transit Authority] did this very same thing along the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago. The photo at the beginning of this report is of the CTA subway line along the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago to O'Hare Airport. The photo above right is of the Grand Central Parkway in Astoria. There appears to be enough space to add a rail line in here somewhere.

LGA air train along grand central parkway near landing strip lga willetts point air train analysisSo here's the American ingenuity piece. Set up the N / W trains that go to LaGuardia to have a few rail cars that can be unfastened from the end of that subway train, and can then be driven around the airport stopping at each of the terminals, before returning to the line and being refastened onto the next outgoing subway train. Or, in a manner similar to what they do with container shipping, have some cars that can be rolled off the subway train line and then pulled around the airport terminals on a conveyor, before circling back to be refastened to the next outgoing subway train.

Unfortunately, the photo above right is the closest image I could find on the web, that conveys my meaning - and it doesn't do a sufficient job in my mind.

LGA air train street car circling around lga airport in lieu of air train analysisWhat I visualize are subway cars at the end of the train, which can be disconnected and go vehicular around the airport. Or better yet, subway cars that can be motored a few blocks to a separate automated rail or street car-like system that takes the disconnected subway cars around the airport to all of the terminals, before returning to the starting point where they would be shuttled back to be reconnected to the next city bound MTA subway train.

The image at right is of a street car operating on one of the few remaining San Francisco street car lines still running. The MTA could set up a street car track circling around the airport, with various pick up / drop off points for folks coming in on the MTA, from various MTA and other bus lines, short and long term parking, and pick up / drop off points for taxis, limos and individually driven cars. A system of this nature, if designed properly, could greatly simply LGA traffic flows.

Think of LaGuardia Airport as an amusement park. After all, the airport was built on one - the North Beach Amusement Park. See photo below of the amusement park which occupied much of the land upon which Municipal Airport was created, opening in 1939, and later renamed LaGuardia in 1947.

 

Use Flexible Technology to Expand Public Transit Economically, Thus Enabling the Masses & the Middle Class, Instead of Congestion Pricing / Taxing the Average Citizen out of the Rich Man's Way

LGA air train along grand central parkway near landing strip lga willetts point air train analysisI recognize that this option isn't currently offered by Kawasaki, Bombardier or Siemens, who represent about two thirds of the subway car industry. But this isn't rocket science, and there is plenty of pre-existing technology, like parts etc. to make this happen in about as much time [2 - 3 years] as it would take to complete the elevated rail line from either the Ditmars Blvd or Astoria Blvd subway station. NYS has a large Kawasaki subway car plant in Yonkers that might be up to the job.

This sort of flexible technology would also enable the MTA to expand service further into transportation deserts, before doing an expensive build out of subway lines, in neighborhoods where public transit makes sense. This would in turn reduce congestion in Manhattan and surrounding areas.

For my money, building infrastructure that enables folks to get around more easily without their cars, is a far more equitable solution to our congestion, pollution and transportation problems than Congestion Pricing.

Congestion Pricing appears to me like the proposal of the Air Train to Willets Point that Governor Hochul just scratched, meaning it doesn't serve the general public interest, but rather seems to reward the private selfish interests of the folks who are pushing the plan, and who appear to have successfully manipulated quite a few well intentioned folks to support it. The profiteering supporters congestion pricing have manipulated a lot of people into supporting it by promising them all of these public transit goodies, which they claim the masses will get from the proceeds [their first hook was that it was better for the environment but that didn't stand up to scientific scrutiny very well]. If you read the Congestion Pricing report we previously published [see link above], you'll see that in London, where they implemented a congestion pricing plan, a lot of the money went into building and managing the congestion pricing system, while only a fraction of it actually made its way to support public transit as originally promised. Just as in the Congestion Pricing environmental claims, there seemed to be a fair amount of fictionalization of the 'facts'. This sort of manipulation is not unlike what Australian born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch does all too often on his Fox News, NY Post and Wall Street Journal.

Congestion pricing basically creates something very unAmerican, which is a two-tiered transportation system for the haves and have nots. Folks with less money are priced out of driving in Manhattan [luxury] so the rich folks can move around more easily, having priced the rest of the folks out of the way. Building infrastructure, on the other hand, entices folks to ditch their cars in the interest of saving the environment, creates more doable public transit commutes, and enables the working class to save their money to spend on more satisfying conveniences.

Think about it, then smile or have a good laugh - either at me or with me - and go on to enjoy your week.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Daylight Savings Time Sunday 2AM, Performance of a Lorraine Hansberry Play, a Pop Up Market & Poets Workshop in Brooklyn; Chain Theatre Opens Original Play, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit in Manhattan; Rough Draft Festival at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Workshop for Women About EmPowerment, MFTA Art Opening & 40 Shades of Irish Green in Queens; Two St Patrick's Day Parades, a Concert, a Queer Nature Art Exhibit & the Orchid Show in the Bronx; Two Concerts [one Folk & one Classical], a Pre-Oscar Screening, a Staged Reading & Glass House Tour on Staten Island

brooklyn things to do brooklyn events brooklyn nycMarch 10, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be in the low to high 30's all weekend. Winds will range from 5 - 13 mph on Friday and Saturday and fall to about 7 mph on Sunday. The humidity will range from 60% - 80% on Friday, and then settle into the 60% - 70% range for the rest of the weekend. There will be about an inch of precipitation between 4 pm Friday and 9 am Saturday, and the rest of the weekend should remain dry.

The photo at right was taken in McCarren Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn a while back.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

From March 15 through April 8th beginning at 7 pm [most nights], the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street [3rd Floor] will be hosting live performances of THIS G*D DAMN HOUSE. The play is described as follows, " ... Jet lagged, without warning, Danny is summoned from NYC by his brother Jacob to Florida. Their mother has 24 hrs to vacate their childhood home. The problem is, their mother is a hoarder and the house is an indoor trash heap. The brothers dig through the filth and garbage with memories, trauma, and the past rising to the surface as the deadline closes in...". For tickets and details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org.

OPEN CALL. The Chain NYC Film Festival is accepting submissions. The early bird deadline is April 29, 2023. Producers, Directors and Actors can save on entry fees by submitting their work early on Film Freeway. For details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.

st pat's parade manhattanFresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

Next Friday, March 17th, beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough. For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/

Click here for Irish bars and pubs in Manhattan, see - St Pat's Day Bars, Restaurants & Irish Pubs Manhattan NYC.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

Friday, March 10th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Doll Valley in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Doll Valley is a meditation on a cornerstone of iconic queer camp pop culture endowed with the mythic tale of women attempting to navigate concepts of gaze and authorship in a volatile field/industry ...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.

This Sunday, March 12th from 12 noon - 3 pm at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria - Redefining Leadership, Reimagining Power - is a workshop described as, " ... in connection with Ramadan and Women’s History Month, Redefining Leadership, Reimagining Power is a community event focused on women leaders and the many definitions of leadership including speaking up against injustices; taking care of each other and our communities; and creating films with powerful messages, such as TYWLS student Niyama Chowdhury’s visual poem The Light of Islam. In response to a prompt, participants can create a video about women’s leadership ...". For tickets and details see - https://movingimage.us. Free with $10 / $20 admission.

Next Wednesday, March 15th beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Marks Episcopal Church at 33-50 82nd Street in Jackson Heights, there's a performance by the Jackson Heights Orchestra. In addition to playing Mozart's the Marriage of Figaro, and Beethoven's Symphony #7, they'll be performing a new work by one of their own. For details and tickets see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/people/Jackson-Heights-Orchestra/100028285643320/

Next Thursday, March 16th from 6.30 to 9.30 pm at Materials for the Arts at 11-00 Northern Blvd in Long Island City there's an art exhibit opening for “A Kaleidoscope of Lines/ Forms/ Patterns” by Sui Park. The works is described as follows, " ... Her work involves creating 3-dimensional organic forms in biomorphic shapes that are both illusory and mystical. Park’s creations are often made with mass-produced industrial materials, in particular, Monofilament cable sleeving and zip ties. While resembling transitions and transformations of nature, the forms aim to capture subtle but continuous changes in our emotions, sentiments, memories, and expectations... ". For details and to rsvp see - https://www.materialsforthearts.org/.

Next Friday, March 17th at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson near Vernon Blvd in Long Island City there's a St Patricks Day Celebration entitled '40 Shades of Green', from 3 - 9 pm. For $30 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org.

Next Friday, March 17th beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another...". For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

brooklyn things to do brooklyn events brooklyn nycOn Sunday, March 12 from 11 am to 5 pm there's a Winter Pop Up Market at the Brooklyn Museum at 200 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The event is free and open to the public. For details see https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/.

The photo at right was taken at a spring market in Brooklyn [not at the museum] a few years ago, just before the pandemic struck.

On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.

On Monday, March 13th, beginning at 6.30 pm Brooklyn Poets at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is hosting a number of open mic readings at their monthly Poets Yawp which is a workshop held on the second Monday of every month from 6.30 to 9 pm. If you want to speak you have to rsvp a spot in advance. The featured speaker this Monday is Ramya Ramana. For details and $13 tickets see - https://brooklynpoets.org/

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

March is Music Month begins at Pregones PRTT Theater at 571 Walton Street in the Bronx. On Saturday beginning at 7 pm Sonia Olla and Ismael Fernandez who they bill as a "fiery duo". And on Sunday, beginning at 3 pm, Francesca Khalifa will perform. Khalifa's piano playing is described as follows, " ... uncommon among the new generation…the introspection of her interpretation is convincing, as much as the subtlety and delicacy of the phrasing, the nobility of the musicianship... ". For tickets call 718-585-1202, and while the prices weren't posted, we put in a call to find out but haven't heard back yet. Usually prices are in the $15 - $20 range.

bronx st pats parade throgs neck st patricks day parade photos bronx st pats parade throgs neck photosOn Sunday, March 12, 2023 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Pats Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer.

The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018. This is a link to a previous report we did on the St Patricks Day Parade in Throgs Neck in the Bronx NYC. For further details see their blogspot page at - http://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com/

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx NYC.

On Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers. This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins. For further details see their website at - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org/

An exhibit entitled Queer Nature is at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". One of the reasons people's understanding and conversations about gender and race are so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem at least as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.

There are gardening classes being given at the Bartow Pell Mansion for the next three Saturdays in March [11th, 18th & 25th] from 10 am - 12 noon. Tickets for all three days are $75 for non-members [$25 / class], or $50 for members [$17 / class].

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, March 11th from 1 - 2.30 pm there's a rare opportunity to take a tour of the Carl Grillo Glass House at Snug Harbor. The tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at the greenhouse. From 2 - 3 pm there's a St. Lukes Orchestra concert entitled Journeys and Origins in the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art in the Main Hall Gallery, Building C at Snug Harbor. Tour tickets cost $10 / $8 and concert tickets are free but you must rsvp. For tickets and details see - https://snug-harbor.org.

On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Linda Russell and who is described as, " ... a singer/songwriter who is also deeply rooted in traditional music. Playing mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer, Linda performs a variety of material ranging from early American ballads and love songs to mountain gospels, Irish dance tunes and her own compositions. Linda’s original songs tell of childhood summers, family sing-alongs and the abandoned farmhouses and eccentric characters of her Midwestern past.....". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

Also in Historic Richmond Town [above] on Sunday, there's a Cabin Fever Reliever Soda Break Making Workshop from 1 - 3 pm. For $20 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org.

On Sunday, March 12th beginning at 4 pm there's a staged reading of the theatrical production of "Mind the Light" at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. The Lighthouse Museum also has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For $10 / $5 tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

On Sunday, from 3 - 7 pm, there's an Oscar Night Pre-Party at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island. The event includes a showing of Breakfast at Tiffanys on the big screen in the historic theater. For $20 per person tickets and details see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com

Have a good one.


St Pat's Day NYC 2023 - Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants in NYC

Most Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants We Cover Survived & Are Ready to Party, but Remember Reduced Capacity Seating Offset by Outdoor Seating & CoVid Guidelines Still Apply

nyc irish pubs st pats day bars restaurants manhattan queens bronx brooklyn staten island st patricks day irish pubs bars restaurants nycMarch 4, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Irish Pubs Bars & Restaurants / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We're a bit more than a week away from St. Patrick's Day 2023. Three years ago we were all waking up to a new reality ... the CoVid pandemic. So back then the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan was hugely scaled down ... and many in the outer boroughs were cancelled. This year they all return in spades.

Restaurants and bars are back to some sort of normal and most still have outdoor dining. The current weather forecast [as of 3/4/23] for St. Patrick's Day calls for temperatures to range from 50 - 60 degrees with a possibility of precipitation.

I've compiled a set of Irish pubs, bars and restaurants in each borough for you to peruse, if you're contemplating going out that day. Please remember, that like New Years Eve, all the amateur drinkers come out, including those not Irish, so be careful.

So enjoy yourself, responsibly and respectfully, so that the day after St. Patricks Day is a good one too.

Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music & Brooklyn Poets Readings in Brooklyn, the Athena Film Festival at Barnard College, Fresh, Fly & Fabulous Exhibit, Purim Celebration & the Harlem Blues in Manhattan, Cryptochrome at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center & Two St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, Queer Nature Opens at Bronx Art Space & the Orchid Show in the Bronx, & Lisa & Lori at Historic Richmond Town and the last Remaining Homophobic St Patricks Day Parade in NYC on Staten Island

2023 snowfall in queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island only snowfall of 2023 nycMarch 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. There will be about an inch of rain on Friday beginning between 5 - 8 pm, ending by Saturday 8 am. The rest of the weekend will be dry. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's. The winds will be 10 - 20 mph on Friday, 5 - 15 on Saturday and about 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday and 60% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken late Monday night. It seems someone made good use of their time, and built what is likely one of the few NYC snowmen of this entire winter.

 

The Illusion of Winter

The photo at right shows NYC getting its first real snow of Winter 2023. I went out late Monday evening to capture the snowfall, as I didn't think the snow would last long in our increasingly warm and drier climate. As you know, the snow - unlike unwelcome guests - didn't stay long. For those who still think climate change is a liberal hoax, please think again.

I think the coming climate change scourge isn't going to be about having too much water, but rather about not having enough water, to grow food and drink. If I were in charge of infrastructure preparations for climate change, I would be planning to cover reservoirs, cover conduits moving water from one area to another [including possibly rivers] and maybe even some lakes. I would also be accelerating our transition away from dictator-controlled fossil fuels [Russia & Saudi Arabia], to installing solar on rooftops to power both homes and to charge the homeowner's electric vehicles by instituting a steady gradual increase in taxes on carbon fuels, the proceeds of which I would use, as incentives to install renewable energy alternatives including more widely available public transit. And I would accelerate the erection of windmill fields near large urban center that can be protected from hostile enemy fire, to avoid experiencing what the Russians are doing to the Ukrainian power grid.

If you're under the age of 70 and in reasonably good health, you're going to be among those of us who will suffer the consequences of society allowing of the powerful to prioritize profits ahead doing the right thing for the general well being of the community. Click this link to view a report we did previously based on fact, with a blend of futuristic fiction - The Great Evaporation: An Ozone Hole Parable which conveys in greater detail my view of the coming catastrophe of climate change. In the meantime we can all do our little part, like re-using things as much as possible; walking, cycling or using public transit whenever feasible, keeping lights and appliances off or on low as much as reasonable, and making sure that the candidates we elect, prioritize the transition away from fascist-controlled fossil fuels, as fast as reasonably can be done.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

From Thursday, March 2nd thru Sunday, March 5th, the Athena Film Festival is being held at Barnard College on West Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets on the Upper West Side. The festival is screening 12 feature films, 12 documentaries and 16 short films and they are hosting six panels. I believe most films are shown in the Held Auditorium, the Lehman Auditorium and the panels are held at either the Event Oval or the James Room. For further details, tickets [$18 general public / $7 for students] and locations see - https://athenafilmfestival.com/festival-info/directions/

2023 snowfall in queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island only snowfall of 2023 nycFresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

The photo at right shows that the city was prepared to handle the incoming snow. But given the light 1 - 3 inch dusting, and the warm temperatures forecast for the following day, mother nature had resourced the means to handle the snow removal herself.

On Sunday, March 5th from 10.30 am - 5.30 pm, Congregation Rodeph Sholom is celebrating PurimFest at 7 West 83rd Street in Manhattan. Free and everyone is welcome.

On Monday, March 6th from 6 - 10 pm, Phil's House of Blues at 300 West 116th Street [near Frederick Douglass Blvd] in West Harlem is hosting Silvana, featuring a number of blues musicians. Admittance is $10. For details see - https://www.newheritagetheatre.org/422-phil-s-house-of-blues

On Tuesday, March 7th, at 9.30 am at 250 Broadway between Park Place and Murray Street across from City Hall there's a Rally to Return the Landmarks Preservation Commission to its Purpose. The rally is being organized in tandem with the following organizations - Seaport Coalition, Humanscale NYC, Citywide Landuse Coalition and the Historic Districts Council.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

Saturday, March 4, 2023. The Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at 1 pm at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens and as of 2023, this parade is in its 48th year. For more details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/

On Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 1 - 4 pm there's a Hands on History lecture about the Irish immigrants coming to New York. A sampling of what will be discussed is as follows, " ... to escape poverty and famine. With them, they brought their rich culture, which included symbols like the shamrock and their love of music, including the harp. Musicians were central to Irish culture, and the harp is the national symbol of Ireland. Many workers at King Manor in the 19th century were Irish immigrants ..." Free but please rsvp at - https://www.kingmanor.org/

This weekend at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria - Millers Crossing is being shown at 7 pm on Friday and 5.30 pm on Sunday, while Crooklyn is being shown at 1 pm on Saturday.

Sunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. For further details on the St Pats for All Parade see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/

On Tuesday, March 7th [also on March 17th] beginning at 5 pm, there's a reading of Cryptochrome in tandem with the Rough Draft Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The reading is described as follows, " ... Cryptochrome is a freewheeling ritual meditation on wayfinding and navigation. Named after a protein believed to be responsible for the ability to navigate using the electromagnetic field, the work explores forms of perception and intuition beyond the limited scope of the visible. As a visually impaired artist in the process of losing my
own sight, its central questions are both urgent and personal. Incorporating a score of original music and text, the work invites audiences on a kaleidoscopic journey across the animal kingdom––from echolocating bats in pitch black caves to birds migrating across featureless oceans––to unearth new insights about how we move through the world in relation to other creatures and one another..."
. For more details and to rsvp a free seat go to - https://www.lpac.nyc/.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

2023 snowfall in queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island only snowfall of 2023 nycOn Friday beginning at 6.30 pm Brooklyn Poets at 144 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights is hosting a number of open mic readings. If you want to speak you have to rsvp a spot in advance. Featured speakers include Morgan Boyle and Joshua Garcia. For details and $7 tickets see - https://brooklynpoets.org/

The photo at right was taken late Monday night. We haven't seen snow all winter and its appearance on Monday was very fleeting ... or shall I say feeting?

On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". The play runs daily, except Mondays, through March 24th. For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

A new exhibit entitled Queer Nature opened at Bronx Art Space at 700 Manida Street [near Spofford Avenue] in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The exhibit is described as, " ... One of the primary arguments against homosexuality is the belief that it is not deemed as "natural", therefore cannot be considered normal. Nature is often weaponized to justify homophobia and transphobia, falsely using biology as a means to enforce social constructs. Some cells reproduce asexually, same-sex behaviors occur in hundreds of species of animals, numerous plants and animals are hermaphroditic; many of them switching genders. How can one consider homosexuality unnatural when it is evident in nature? ...". We've been highlighting some of this information for years, as the links in the Staten Island section below, will show. The reason the discourse about gender, like race, is so messed up is that the mainstream media teleprompter readers seem as ignorant as their audiences. For details on the exhibit which also has a closing party on April 1st may be found at - http://www.bronxartspace.com.

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

MARCH 2ND CANCELLED DUE TO SPEAKER ISSUE. On Thursdays, March 2, 9 & 16, 2023 at from 7 - 8.30 pm, there's a lecture series, entitled 'Inspiring Beauty, at the Bartow Pell Mansion at 895 Shore Road in Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx. The art, photography and curatorial lecture series is about Hudson River Landscapes and Country Estates by one of three different experts each week. For $20 / $30 tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

The Orchid Show has returned to the New York Botanical Garden and will be there until April 23rd. This year the installation was designed by Lily Kwong a landscape artist who explores Asian cultural themes.

 

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at the Guyon Tavern at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a concert by Lisa & Lori Brigantino and the experience is described as an, " ... indoor concert series ... in the restored Guyon Tavern, located on Richmond Road. The Tavern boasts a wood-burning stove, flickering candles, live music and the true feel of a 19th century saloon. Beverage options harken back to the period and include hot spiced apple cider, scratch made mulled wine, as well as a refreshing selection of beers....". For $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

Sunday, March 5, 2023 the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off at 12.30 pm. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from participating in the parade. If you are interested in the truth about human sexuality and gender identification please view two previous reports we posted on gender identification and LGTBQ sexuality to better understand how some people's gender identity differs versus those of us in the mainstream. On the first linked report be sure to click into the link to the Metropolitan Museum's Nadar exhibit done in 1860 in Paris, but be advised the photograph is a bit shocking and not for the faint of heart.

The Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island has ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and an exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

Have a good one.


St Pats Day Parades in All 5 Boros of NYC

This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFebruary 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs start at about 40 on Tuesday, rising to 45 Wednesday and 55 on Thursday, before falling back to 40 on Friday. The temperature lows start in the low 30's on Tuesday, rise to the low 40's on Wednesday, before falling back to the mid 30's on Thursday and rising again to about 40 on Friday. The winds on Tuesday range from 5 - 15 mph, then fall back to 5 - 10 mph on Wednesday and Thursday before kicking up to 15 - 20 mph on Friday. The humidity will range from 75% - 85% on Tuesday, then fall back to 65% - 75% for the rest of the weekdays. There's a 50% chance of a scant amount of precipitation Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, before a real chance of an inch and a quarter of either snow or rain on Friday. Most of Saturday and Sunday should be clear.

The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside Queens. This St Pat's Parade was created to allow LGBTQ folks to march in a St Patricks Day parade at a time when all of the others banned LGBTQ from marching in their parades.

 

Each Borough Has its Own Parade

Parades, Pubs and Restaurants in Each Borough. Each borough has at least one or more St. Patrick's Day parade. As we've covered most of them, we've included links to our reports of each St. Patricks Day Parade to provide you with further details of the experience of attending. We've also included links to some of the best or oldest Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough. As this is by no means a comprehensive list, and we will continue refining this report as we learn more about the Irish pubs and restaurants in each borough of NYC.

How this page is organized. We've organized this page first by borough and then by date. The parades span the month, even though the official feast date for St. Patrick is March 17th, which is also the date of the Manhattan parade which is by far the largest.

The LGBTQ Parade Participation Issue Appears to be Abating. In 2020 the St Pats for All parade was begun in Sunnyside to protest the banning of gays from marching in the Manhattan St Pats Parade. In 2015 the Manhattan Parade opened up its participation rules to allow gays to march. In 2020 the Throgs Neck parade opened up its participation to gays. At present only the Staten Island parade continues to ban LGBTQ community members from participating in the parade as openly gay people. The Staten Island ban continues in 2023.


St Pats Day Parades in All 5 Boros of NYC

This is a Look at All of the Upcoming St Patricks Day Parades, Including Photos of those We've Covered Over the Years with Links to a Page Containing Photos and Descriptions of Some of the Best Irish Pub in Each Borough

February 28, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.

 

  • St Patricks Day Parades in Queens NYC

Also for Queens Irish pubs and restaurants see our compendium - St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Queens. These will be updated next week.

Saturday, March 4, 2023. The Queens County St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Rockaways kicks off at 1 pm at Beach 130th and Newport Avenue. Church services at Francis de Sales Church [129th and Newport Avenue] will be held prior to the parade. The parade marches east down Newport Avenue to 116th Street, where it turns right / heads south one block to Rockaway Blvd - where it turns left and continues east down Rockaway Blvd to 102nd Street terminating near a shopping center parking lot. This parade is in the Rockaways neighborhood of Queens and as of 2023, this parade is in its 48th year.

For more details see - https://queenscountyparade.org/

 

st pats for all parade photos 2012 sunnyside queensSunday, March 5, 2023. The St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside begins with speeches and music at 12 noon, and then kicks off from Skillman Avenue and 43rd Street in Sunnyside, Queens ending 15 blocks further east at 58th Street in Woodside. The St Pats for All Parade was founded in 2000 in response to the Manhattan St Pats Parade boycott of LGBTQ folks marching as openly gay. The Manhattan St Pats Parade has since dropped that policy and permits openly gay members of the community to march in the parade.

The photo at right was taken at the St Pats for All Parade in Sunnyside in 2012. This link will take you to a section of our coverage of the St Pats Parades in Queens NYC. Please be advised that as of this post [2/27/23] we've not finished cleaning up the linked section since we migrated to a new web platform late last year. Those 'elements' in the linked report represent stories we need to add back as the 'elements' technology from the old platform no longer functions.

For further details on the St Pats for All Parade see - https://www.stpatsforall.org/

 

Saturday, March 25, 2023 beginning at 1 pm the Bayside St. Patrick's Day Parade marches down Bell Blvd between 35th and 42nd Avenues. The parade is a fairly new one, now in its fifth or sixth year [2023].

For further details see their Facebook page - www.facebook.com/baysidestpatricksdayparade as their website as of this post on 2.28.23 is currently having issues - www.baysidesaintpatricksdayparade.org.

 

  • St Patricks Day Parades on Staten Island NYC

staten island st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs staten island st pat's day irish pubs staten island st patrick's day parties stapleton south beach st patricks day bars restaurants pubs great kills richmond town castleton st pat's day parties staten island st patricks day irish pubs rossville tomplinsville st pats day staten island nycSunday, March 5, 2023 the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island steps off at 12.30 pm. They begin at Harts Blvd marching along Forest Avenue in the Westerleigh / Elm Park neighborhoods to Jewett Avenue, in the West New Brighton neighborhood of Staten Island. Members of the LGBTQ community continue to be banned from participating in the parade.

In additional signs of how far behind the times the Staten Island St Pats Day Parade committee is, they don't appear to have a website and the only Facebook page was last updated in 2020. I suspect it's just a matter of time before the parade committee gets off their high horses and does the right thing, which is to welcome all members of their community to participate in the parade, and quit discriminating against some of them.

The photo at right was taken at the Staten Island St Pats Parade in 2018 or 2019. Click here to view our report on St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Staten Island NYC. The report currently contains an update of the LGBTQ issue, which we expect to remove from that page and place it on this one, as we now have a page of the parades.

As mentioned above, I couldn't find a parade website nor an up-to-date Facebook page as of this post [2/28/23].

 

  • St Patricks Day Parades in the Bronx NYC & Yonkers

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Bronx NYC which we'll update next week.

bronx st pats parade throgs neck st patricks day parade photos bronx st pats parade throgs neck photosOn Sunday, March 12, 2023 beginning at 12 noon the Throggs Neck St Pats Parade in the Bronx steps off at Lafayette and East Tremont Avenue. The parade marches south on East Tremont Avenue, through the Throgs Neck commercial district, ending about a mile later at Harding and East Tremont Avenue, where a mobile stage is usually set up for parade speechs and entertainment. The parade lasts about an hour, but the festivities go on far longer.

The photo at right was taken at the Throggs Neck St Patricks Day Parade in 2018.

This is a link to a previous report we did on the St Patricks Day Parade in Throgs Neck in the Bronx NYC.

For further details see their blogspot page at - http://tnsaintpatricksdayparade.blogspot.com/

 

bronx irish neighborhoods woodlawn heights near the Yonkers st pats parade irish pubs restaurants in woodlawn bronx yonkersOn Saturday, March 18, 2023 beginning at 1 pm, the 65th Annual Yonkers St. Patrick's Parade will march up what they call the Emerald Mile, along McLean Avenue from Bronx River Road / Webster Avenue to Coyne Park in Yonkers.

The photo at right, was taken in early March of 2020, showing John Mulligans Fireside Pub along Katonah Avenue in the Woodlawn Heights neighborhoof of the Bronx. The blocks along Katonah Avenue south of McLean are home to a lot of Bronx Irish. See the reports below for details.

This is a link to a report we did on some of the Irish bars and pubs in the Woodlawn neighborhood of the Bronx NYC, which is just south of McLean Avenue where the Throgs Neck St Patricks Day Parade begins.

For further details see their website at - http://www.yonkersstpatricksparade.org/

 

  • St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan NYC

Click here for Irish bars and pubs in Manhattan, see - St Pat's Day Bars, Restaurants & Irish Pubs Manhattan NYC.

st pat's parade manhattanOn Friday beginning at 11 am, the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan begins on 5th Avenue at 44th Street and marches up to 79th Street. There are generally about 150,000 participants and about two million spectators. Click these links for Irish pub suggestions for each borough.

The Manhattan St Pats Parade in New York City first stepped off in 1762. The parade continued through the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, WWI & WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Middle East Wars since the 1990's. In the early years beneficial societies took over organizing the event, followed by the Ancient Order of Hiberians in 1852, and in the 1990's this was followed by the transference of the parade management to local groups and organizations.

The parade generally adhered to 'traditional values' which meant that LGBTQ members of the community weren't allowed to march as openly gay human beings. The banning of LGBTQ participation became an issue in the late 1980's and early 1990's as AIDs 'invisibly' swept through the LGBTQ community. Some say 'invisibly' because they say the LGBTQ community members weren't given a proper amount of attention by the media and government officials, and were excluded from public events such as the St Pats Parade.

The LGBTQ controversy swelled up until in 2014, when then Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with many other high ranking government officials, refused to participate in the parade as long as it discriminated against gay participation. Guinness Brewing Company quickly followed suit, withdrawing its sponsorship. By 2015 the parade committee had invited a gay group from Universal NBC, which had broadcast rights to the parade, to march in it, in a sign that things were shifting. In 2018 the parade officially opened the parade to LGBTQ marchers. In 2014 less than a quarter million people watched the parade on TV.

The photo at right shows the Manhattan St. Patricks Day Parade in 2015. In our NYC Parades section we did a short piece on the St Patricks Day Parade in Manhattan NYC.

For further details see - https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/

 

  • St Patricks Day Parades in Brooklyn NYC

Click here for St Pat's Day Irish Pubs, Bars & Restaurants Brooklyn NYC.

brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn nyc brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn0 st patricks day parties brooklyn st pat's day pubs bars restaurants brooklyn nyc irish pubs Dumbo, Williamsburg, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Greenwood Heights, Gowanus, Downtown Brooklyn, Sunset Park, Bayridge, Marine Park, Coney Island st pats day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn Sunday, March 19, 2023 beginning at 12.30 pm, the Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at Prospect Park West and 15th St [assembly stretches to 9th St]. The parade marches to 7th Ave & Garfield Place, back to Prospect Park West & 15th Street where there's a celebration from 2 - 5 pm in Bartel-Pritchard Square at 14th Street in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. The parade was established in 1975 and is said to be the oldest St Patricks Day Parade in Brooklyn.

There's a St Patrick's Day Parade mass beginning at 10.30 am at Holy Name of Jesus Church at 245 Prospect Park West. St. Patrick's Day parades in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.

The photo at right was taken on St Pats Day in 2017 in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn.

For further details see their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/people/Brooklyn-St-Patricks-Parade/100067529770947/ because as of this post their website was out of date - https://brooklynstpatricksparade.org/

 

brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn nyc brooklyn st patricks day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn0 st patricks day parties brooklyn st pat's day pubs bars restaurants brooklyn nyc irish pubs Dumbo, Williamsburg, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Greenpoint, Bushwick, Greenwood Heights, Gowanus, Downtown Brooklyn, Sunset Park, Bayridge, Marine Park, Coney Island st pats day bars restaurants irish pubs brooklyn On Sunday, March 26, 2023 the Bay Ridge Brooklyn Saint Patrick's Parade kicks off at 1 pm on 3rd and Marine Avenues and marches north along 3rd Avenue to 67th Street ending in Owl's Head Park in Bayridge. This parade was first established in 1993.

The photo at right was taken at the 2022 St Pats Parade in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn.

For further details see - https://www.brparade.com/

 

Irish Farewell Greeting

May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. Erin go Bragh.

Have a good week.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Black HerStory at Lincoln Center, African Poetry Society Film Festival in Queens, Lorraine Hansberry's Play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Performance of the Play Insignificant at the Bartow Pell Mansion in the Bronx & African American Lighthouse Exhibit Opening on Staten Island

valentines day events queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island v day eventsFebruary 24, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday was 46 degrees, falling to 34 on Saturday, before rising to 51 on Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 20's on Friday, rising to the high 20's on Saturday, and the low 30's on Sunday. The winds will be between 10 - 20 mph Friday, dropping to 4 - 7 mph Saturday and then rising again to 8 - 12 mph. The humidity will be in the 40% to 50% range on Friday, 55% t0 65% on Saturday, and between 50% to 60% on Sunday. No precipitation is expected.

The photo at right was taken at a production of Black Wall Street at the York College Bassin Performing Arts Center in Jamaica Queens quite a while ago.

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

OPEN CALL. For details see -

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday and Saturday from 2 - 5 pm there's an open fair connected to the Black HerStory weekend at Lincoln Center at Alice Tully and David Geffen Halls. The fair includes sound bath and astrology readings, books by Black female authors for sale, a poetry slam, hip hop dance performances and an all women DJ takeover. The Black HerStory Live concerts begin each evening at 5.30 pm. They describe the event as follows, " ... AFROPUNK and Lincoln Center come together for their largest collaboration to date, a 2-day festival takeover celebrating the Black woman’s journey to find her voice through music and performance. Audiences can expect an immersive multidisciplinary experience that represents the razor's edge in music, art, poetry, dance, performance art, and much more—all proudly featuring Black women artists from around the world...". For

The One Act Festival at the Chain Theatre at 312 West 36th Street, 3rd Floor, ends this weekend. There are performances that begin between 6.30 - 7.30 pm on each weekend night. For $22 tickets and more details see - https://www.chaintheatre.org/.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/

On Saturday at 3 pm and Sunday at 2 pm, the Afrikan Poetry Society has organized a Black History Month Film Festival at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria. For $15 / $11 / $9 tickets and details see - https://movingimage.us

This is the last weekend to see Henrike Naumann's Re-Education and Tirzah at the Sculpture Center at 44-19 Purves Street in Long Island City. For details see https://www.sculpture-center.org/. The exhibits are described as follows, "... Henrike Naumann’s installations of furniture and design objects are composed as scenes that ask pressing and
enduring questions: What is the relationship between design and ideology? How should one read the politics of design?
... AND ... Tirzah is an exhibition of the British musician’s music video output installed in an immersive video and audio environment across SculptureCenter’s lower-level spaces..." .

On Saturday from 1 - 1.40 pm there is a tour at the Louis Armstrong House at 34-56 107th Street in Corona Queens about the role played by Armstrong in the Civil Rights movement. For $15/ $12 tickets and details see - https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/

Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

On Monday at 11 am there will be a pool reopening ceremony at the Flushing Aquatic Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The $67 million [new] pool has been closed for years due to problems with the moveable track floor.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

The Brooklyn Childrens Museum is hosting a Black Future Festival this weekend from 10 am - 5 pm daily. They describe the event as follows, " ... reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of peoples of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. Together with festival curator Àṣẹ Dance Theater Collective, experience interactive dance performances, storytelling, genealogy workshops, art-making in the ColorLab art studio, tasty food, and more...". For $13 / $12 tickets and details see - https://www.brooklynkids.org

On Friday at 7.30 pm, Saturday at 1.30 and 7.30, and Sunday at 3 pm there are performances of Black female author Lorraine Hansberry's epic drama entitled The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window in the Harvey Theatre at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 651 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. They describe the play as follows, " ... Hansberry invites us into Greenwich Village in the 60s, crafting a razor-sharp portrait of a diverse group of friends whose progressive dreams can’t quite match reality. At the center are Sidney and Iris Brustein, fighting to see if their marriage—with all its crackling wit, passion, and petty cruelty—can survive Sidney’s ideals...". For $35 & up tickets and details see - https://www.bam.org.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday at 7 pm, Saturday at 4 pm & 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm, there's a play, entitled 'Insignificant', being performed at the Bartow Pell Mansion at xyz in the Bronx. The play is described as follows, " ... At Harvard University in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Cecilia Payne, Annie Jump Cannon, and the group of women known as the “Harvard Computers” overcame prejudice, denigration, and opposition to change the course of modern astronomy and developed revolutionary systems to chart and measure stars that remain in use today. Their battles for recognition, respect, and equality are still being fought by women in the 21st century ...". For $35 tickets and details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org.

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday beginning from 1 tp 2.30 pm at the Historic Richmond Town at 441 Clarke Avenue there's a Bookbinding Workshop. Later on Saturday from 6 - 8 pm there's a concert by Brother Dynamite who are described as, " ... Brother Dynamite is a Staten Island-based acoustic duo featuring Shawn Moynihan and Alan Miller who have been performing together for 35 years. They play original songs, including selections from their new album "If We Dare," as well as songs by some of Folk and Rock's greatest performers...". For $20 / $18 tickets and event details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

On Sunday beginning at 3 pm the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island will officially open its African American Exhibit. This will be followed at 4 pm by a lecture about Willis Hodges who was the first African American Lighthouse Keeper in 1870. There are also ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and there's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

Have a good one.


Black History Month in NYC

This is a Look at Some of the Black History Events We've Covered Over the Years

langston hughes queens david mills york performing arts center queensFebruary 17, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high hit 61 degrees on Monday, and will fall to the mid to high 40's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will range from the mid 30's to the low 40's until Friday, when the temperature drops into the mid 20's. The winds will range from 5 - 10 mph until Friday, when we'll experience a gusty 15 - 20 mph. The humidity will range between 60% - 70% through the week, before dropping to 40% on Friday. Less than a quarter inch of rain is expected on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The image at right is of Langston Hughes, a writer in the 1920's and 1930's of the Harlem Renaissance. It seems like African Americans are continuing the process of asserting their influence in American culture, a process that began going mainstream in the 1920's / 1930's.

 

Highlighting Black History Month in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island NYC with Reports about African American History and Culture

We've covered a number of interesting theatrical performances and art exhibits exploring African American history and the African American experience in the five boroughs over the years. Some of them feature the African American experience front and center, while others include or reference the African American experience. This is a compendium of most of them, with links to the full stories. Think of this as a work in progress as it is far from complete, and in some measure, reflects how long each of our web magazines has been open / covering events in each of the boroughs. At this time I have not included many of the black and brown events reflecting immigrants' cultures, vis a vis the African American cultural experience.

 

Paying Tribute to Black History in Queens NYC

Flushing / Corona Historic Houses. The next few links are short stories we did based on taking the Flushing historic house tour which occurs every December in Queens. The Louis Latimer House is dedicated to one of the first African American scientists who worked with Thomas Edison. The Louis Armstrong House is also on that tour, and does quite a bit of their cultural programming during the summer. King Manor is also an historic house in Jamaica, owned by a white Founding Father, who was an ardent abolitionist. It's no surprise that African Americans congregated in the area, given what this Founding Father and former NYS Senator stood for.

LaGuardia College Performing Arts Center / Modern Theater in LIC. This story is about a theatrical experience at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City. It's an original play and it's entitle Unpacking American Identity which brought home the reality of what it's like to live in America as an African American, facing discrimination daily.

Queens & African American Music. Queens is called the Home of Jazz because at one time there were literally dozens and more of African Americans living in Queens during the heyday of jazz in the 1930's. Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald are just a few who enjoyed living in Queens because it was a melting pot of black, brown and white folks living together in a generally peaceful and respectful manner.

York College Bassin Performing Arts Center / Theater in Jamaica. In the past the Bassin Center for the Performing Arts at York College used to stage a number of productions each season. One of the most interesting performances was the 2013 production of Black Wall Street which opened my eyes to a story of which I had never previously heard. They also hosted a one man performance of Langston Hughes which recaptured the life and times of a Harlem Renaissance writer and playwright. In addition to productions they helped choreograph, the Bassin Center for the PAC would host performances by local theater groups, including one by a local church that packed a message in the play. And in 2015 the Liberian President speaks at York College. It's worth mentioning that Liberia is a nation on the coast of West Africa that was started by Americans who helped freed and free born African Americans migrate to Liberia, to carve out a non-discriminatory life for themselves.

Jamaica Music Festivals. There are a number of food and music festivals held annually in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. A few of them have not returned, but others have grown to take their place. The Irie Jamboree was a reggae music festival, celebrating reggae music which is more Afro-Caribbean than Afro American. The Jamaica Jerk Festival is held in Roy Wilkins Park every year. It's generally an Afro-Caribbean food and musical experience.

African American Fashion Shows. I have attended a number of African American organized fashions shows in the Jamaica section of Queens. The first was the Come to Fashion Show in 2012, the second was the Jamaica Collection in 2013, the third was the Jamaica Just My Style Fashion Show in 2016, where I also covered the JJMS Fashion Show preview, which included some video.

afrikan poetry societyJamaica JAMS. Jamaica JAMS is one of the largest events in Queens generally the first weekend of August. The event spans a couple of days and includes a concert on Friday evening in King Park, followed by a food and shopping festival the next day. The Jamaica JAMS food and shopping festival in 2011 and the Jamaica JAMS Festival concert including video in 2015.

African American Dance, Theater & Culture. In recent years there's been a robust Jamaica Performing Arts Center dance festival. It seems to continue morphing, but is always worth attending. A number of years ago we used to visit John Watusi, Founder of the Afrikan Poetry Theater. It was in attending one of his programs that I first learned about Kwanzaa in December / January 2010, and I had the privilege of watching the first Obama Inauguration with him on January 20, 2009. Unfortunately, John Watusi died on December 29, 2013 of a heart attack [see photo at right].

 

Paying Tribute to Black History Month in the Bronx NYC

Bronx Art Space. An art exhibit at Bronx Art Space about Rikers incarceration, which also showcased local talent in a video.

Bronx Zoo. There's a terrible, seemingly racist, story associated with one of the early founders of the Bronx Zoo. The story demonstrates two things: 1) it highlights the discriminatory, disrespectful and racist attitude of the times, and 2) it also demonstrates that there are people in our society who do have a proper moral compass, and who have stood up for righteous causes when they became aware of abuses. It's one incident initiated by one person, that happened over a century ago. Otherwise, the Bronx Zoo, as an institution, has done a lot of good.

The Universal Hip Hop Museum is set to open in 2023 in its new home at 610 Exterior Street in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx.

Inwood Fashion Show. We did a short report on an Inwood Fashion Show that attracted a lot Bronx contestants that didn't return during the pandemic. We'll keep an eye out for it or its replacement this coming year.

 

Paying Tribute to Black History Month in Brooklyn NYC

ebbets field photo brooklyn

Jackie Robinson & the Brooklyn Dodgers. This is the story about the Brooklyn Dodgers and why they departed for Los Angeles instead of continuing to do battle with Robert Moses over access to a stadium. Embedded in this story, is the story of Jackie Robinson who with the Brooklyn Dodgers, broke the color line in Major League Baseball.

The photo at right shows Ebbetts Field in Brooklyn, which at the time was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers broke the color line, opening up major league baseball to people of all skin colors. It wasn't too long before all major league sports started recruiting athletes based on talent - not skin color.

George Floyd Protests. This is a story about a peaceful George Floyd protest in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. The second story includes a couple of videos of George Floyd protests in both Brooklyn and Manhattan NYC.

 

manhattan things to do nyc

Paying Tribute to Black History in Manhattan NYC

African American Parade Harlem. The African American Parade happens every September in Harlem. It's the largest African American parade in the nation arising out of the 1968 Civil Rights struggle and celebrates African American contributions to American culture. Manhattan was home to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's and 1930's when writers like E.B. Dubois and Langston Hughes began to forge their way onto the American literary stage, while musicians like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald became mainstream musical stars.

The photo at right was taken at the African American Parade in Harlem a few years ago.

Charlie Parker Jazz Fest. There's the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival which takes place every year, splitting the events between Harlem and the East Village, as Charlie spent a lot of his time in both places. Charlie Parker, a saxaphonist, is credited with inventing bebop, which evolved jazz from a dance music to an acoustical performance and we celebrate his contributions annually.

There's an African American burial ground in lower Manhattan on Duane Street at Elk Street, two blocks directly north of City Hall. About 490 African Americans were buried there in the late 17th and 18th centuries when New York was a very small town by the standards of today.

The Affordable Care Act, which provides for affordable healthcare insurance for all Americans, was nicknamed Obamacare, after our first African American President, Barack Obama, who pushed for and signed the legislation into law. President Biden, since becoming president himself, has increased enrollments by 50% according to a January 2023 report in Yahoo News.

The Apollo Theater in Harlem. Former Mayor de Blasio gave his 2017 State of the City Address at the Apollo theater in Harlem. So this link will take you to a report of what he said, but it includes a few photos of the legendary theater which turns 89 in September of this year. The theater was the springboard for the careers of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix [among others] and the locale of the last live performance by Michael Jackson.

Mayor Eric Adams is the second African American Mayor of NYC. We covered him in a meeting earlier this year. Scroll down to January 13, 2023 report for photo and caption.

 

Paying Tribute to Black History on Staten Island NYC

Sandy Ground Underground Railroad. We're in the process of exploring a site which was reportedly the first non-slave African American purchasing land in New York State, shortly after NYS outlawed slavery in 1828. This area, called Sandy Ground, later became a part of the underground railroad on Staten Island, where escaping slaves crossed over from Perth Amboy, where many slave traders lurked, hoping to capture the escaped slaves before they became freemen by arriving on Staten Island. There was a home / museum in this same area [Rossville on the southern end of the island], which recently closed [2022] due to funding issues. This is an opportunity to reclaim some of our history.

You can also scroll down to our MLK Day Weekend reports to find other venues that are relevant to African American history, particularly in their struggle for equality and Civil Rights.

Have a good week.


Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFebruary 17, 2023 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Presidents Day Weekend is finally here. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs Friday, Saturday and Sunday will range from the high 40's to the low 50's, before rising on Monday into the high 50's. The temperature lows will fall to 30 on Friday, rising to 35 on Saturday, to 45 on Sunday, before descending into the high 30's on Monday. No precipitation is forecast. It's going to be a fairly windy weekend, with the winds at 20 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday, and then rising again to about 10 mph on Monday. The humidity will be 50% - 60% on Friday, falling to 40% - 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 70% on Sunday, before falling back to about 50% on Monday.  Click for NYC Weather.

 

Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC

bronx things to do presidents day weekend bronx presidents day weekend events bronx nycA day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.

In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.

In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.

More events, many of which will not be Presidents Day themed, will be posted the Friday leading into Presidents Day Weekend [2/17/23].

Enjoy.


Valentines Day Restaurants in NYC 2023

Dining Out on Valentine's Day 2023 in the 5 Boros of NYC

nyc valentines day restaurants nyc romantic restaurants all five boros nycFebruary 11, 2023 / NYC Restaurants / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Three weeks from Tuesday is Valentine's Day in NYC. We are working on a roundup of romantic and Valentines restaurants in NYC by borough that will be offering indoor and / or outdoor dining specials on that day.

One thing worth noting is that with outdoor seating and Valentines Day falling on a week day - depending on your loved one's desire for dining specifically on Valentines Day - you should have good luck in booking a reservation.  And you also have good luck working for you as it's the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit, which is the luckiest symbol / year of the zodiac.

So, here are links to Valentine's Day dining in all five of NYC boroughs - by borough. We also identify a number of restaurants have gone under since the pandemic began.

Enjoy.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Valentines Day Weekend Cocktail Party NYC, Lunar New Year Parade Manhattan, Photo Exhibit Opening Reception & Comedy in the Bronx, Classical & Gregory Porter Concerts in Brooklyn, Play in Queens & Lighthouse for Lovers on Staten Island,

valentines day events queens nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx staten island v day eventsFebruary 11, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature high on Friday actually hit 61 degrees this morning, breaking a record. On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature high will be about 50 on both days, while the temperature lows will be in the mid to high 30's throughout the weekend. The winds will be between 5 - 13 mph all weekend. The humidity will be between 40% and 50% on Friday and Saturday, rising a bit to between 50% to 60% on Sunday. There's a small chance [30%] of a small amount of rain [1/10th of an inch] on Sunday night.

 

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

OPEN CALL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS. For details see - https://www.citizensnyc.org/

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday, February 10, 2023 from 6 - 9 pm the Museum of the City of New York at 1220 5th Avenue on the UES is hosting a pre-Valentine's Day party that is described as follows, " ... Cocktails & Culture ... groove to DJ LiKWUiD's signature "traphrobeats” blending house music, hip hop and afrobeats, with live sets by trumpeter Nash Guillermo ... stroll through the Museum's galleries, then decorate a sweet treat with your sweetheart at our pop-up bakery, Avrilililly's Creamery, and capture your evening at our interactive photobooth. Enjoy savory bites by UGC eats, plus Love Potion cocktails, mocktails and other libations from the MCNY Bar ...". For $45 / $39 / $25 kids / teens tickets [ includes museum admission] and details see - www.mcny.org.

On Sunday, February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

Broadway Week [it's really Broadway Month] began on January 17 and is ending on Sunday, February 12th. Most Broadway shows participate, where theater goers can purchase two tickets for the price of one. Search for the Broadway shows you're interested in seeing to see if they are participating.

NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday, February 14, 2023 beginning at 7 pm the Merchants House Museum at 29 East 4th Street in the East Village / Bowery in Manhattan is hosting a Valentine's Day Concert, which they describe as follows, " ... The renowned Bond Street Euterpean Singing Society presents lush, romantic vocal selections by some of the world’s great 19th-century composers including Beethoven, Liszt, Richard Strauss, Amy Beach, Johann Strauss II, and others performed in the Museum’s authentic Greek Revival double parlor. Singers Anthony Bellov, Amy Gluck, Jane Elizabeth Rady, and Dayle Vander Sande. ...". For $50 / $35 / $20 / $15 tickets and details see - www.merchantshouse.org / 212.777.1089.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

valentines day gifts nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc valentines day gifts flowers chocolatesOn Friday, February 10th, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is hosting a concert beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. They are performing Mozart's Requiem and other songs of reassurance and renewal. Tickets are $20 / $15 at https://bkcm.org/.

CLICK this link for some shopping destinations for Valentine's Day gifts in NYC. These are not paid ads, but a curated list of shops in some of the boroughs.

On Saturday, February 11, 2023 beginning at 8 pm / doors open at 6.30 pm at the Kings Theatre in Flatbush there's Gregory Porter live. They describe the event as follows: " ... the man's bone-deep baritone ... the air change(s) as the warmth of his sound filled the atmosphere like a hug from above ... [his new album] All Rise [is] his sixth studio album ... marks a return to Porter's beloved original songwriting — heart-on-sleeve lyrics imbued with everyday philosophy and real-life detail, set to a stirring mix of jazz, soul, blues, and gospel ... represents the evolution of Porter's art to something even more emphatic, emotive, intimate, and universal too. After 2017's Nat King Cole & Me, Porter knew two things: one, he'd bring in an orchestra for his next LP (check), and, two, music is medicine. In the spirit of that latter revelation, All Rise brims with songs about irrepressible love, plus a little protest, because the road to healing is bumpy ...". At 1027 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush Ditmas neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details and tickets that range from $59 - $63, see - https://www.kingstheatre.com.

NEXT WEEK. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, February 13, 15 & 16 beginning at 6.30 pm at PS 9 - The Sarah Smith Garnet School - at 80 Underhill Avenue in Brooklyn there will be a working group meeting to discuss the Atlantic Avenue Mixed Use Plan. They describe the project as follows, "... The plan aims to bring homes, jobs, and improved infrastructure to this important Brooklyn corridor and neighboring blocks in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and Prospect Heights – while also knitting together these vibrant communities currently divided by Atlantic Avenue...". The meetings are dedicated to housing [2/13], jobs [2/15] and infrastructure [2/16]. Free and all are welcome to attend.

NEXT WEEK. On Tuesday, February 14 beginning at 7.30 pm there's a concert entitled Love, Loneliness & Lamentation by the Voices of Ascension Singers and Players as part of the 2023 Winter Festival. The concert will be held at the Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue in the Boerum Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. For details and tickets [$20] see - https://www.voicesofascension.org/

NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, February 16 beginning at 6.30 pm there's a South Central Brooklyn United for Progress Zoom meeting. On the agenda are two items which they describe as follows, "... the proposed Coney Island casino ... hear from local activist, Ida Sanoff, about what she feels the impact of this would be as a longtime member of the community ... will also honor founding member Ellen Bilofsky's legacy as a healthcare activist with a New York Health Act presentation ... talk about the rights you have under our current for-profit healthcare system that you may not be aware of ... hope to demonstrate why Medicare for All is the most logical and just, solution.".

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/

Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

NEXT WEEK. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.

TWO WEEKS. The Queens Short Play Festival begins February 21st and runs through March 18th at the Secret Theatre at 38-02 61st Street in Woodside. For details and tickets which cost $15 / $23, see - https://secrettheatre.com

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, February 11th from 6 pm to 10 pm there's a Valentine’s Day Comedy Night at the Sankofa Haus [an event venue] at 2422 3rd Avenue in the Port Morris neighborhood of the Bronx. It's a couples therapy comedic act featuring four performers. Music and drinks [?] are included in the price of $84. For tickets and details see - https://gregandcherylclarke.com.

On Saturday, February 11th beginning at 6 pm in the Auditorium at the Community Center at 177 Dreiser Loop in / near Coop City there's a Valentine's Day Weekend Night of Classic Soul. The event features five different groups performing 1970's classic rock / soul. For $81 tickets and details see - https://www.facebook.com/rcaheartandsoulprod/

On Sunday, February 12, 2023 from 1 - 3 pm, there's a 'Swagger & Tenderness' book signing at the Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse. The event features artist / sculptors John Ahearn and Rigoberto Torres who have been lifecasting the Bronx unique cultural identity through their various works. It's free but you should rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org.

There is an opening reception from 7 - 9 pm for Richard Sandler's new photo exhibit entitled 'The Eyes of the City' at the Doc Film Center at 364 East 151st Street. Sandler has been photographing NYC since the 1970's capturing a changing landscape, demography and art and architectural landscape. It's free but you must rsvp. Sandler is hosting a street photography workshop prior to the reception from 10 am - 5 pm [it costs $475 and includes other things you need to do to enroll]. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org.

Pregones / PRTT presents its 7th annual 21 Islands International Short Film Fest via streaming for free from February 1 - 12, 2023. For details see - https://pregonesprtt.org/

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday beginning at 1 and 3 pm at the Historic Richmond Town there's a Valentine's Card Workshop in the main building at Court and Center Streets. It's for kids and adults age 3 on up. For details and tickets [$15] you get the materials and instructions for making three old fashioned cards. For details see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

On Saturday beginning at 7 pm there's a Valentine's themed event entitled Lighthouses are for Lovers and Friends, which includes live entertainment and dinner for $60 at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. There are also ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects such as the equipment, the history and there's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another about another early African American Lighthouse keeper who played a role at the Pea Island Life Saving Station. For tickets and details see - https://lighthousemuseum.org.

Also you may use the links above to find a local restaurant for a Valentine's Day / Weekend repast.

Have a good one.


Black History Month in NYC

Scratching the Surface of Our Ancestoral African Roots

things to do this weekend in nycFebruary 7, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Over the past few years I've come to enjoy a number of PBS programs that delve into our collective African American ancestoral roots. One of the shows is hosted by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. wherein he researches various celebrities' ancestoral roots, digging up photos, slave ownership records, and connections to other celebrities by tracing DNA trails. The journey can lead to any number of surprises, such as when Gates found that one of actress Carol Burnett's ancestors joined the Confederate Army, and then deserted a couple of years later. Or when Gates uncovered that TV Producer / Writer Larry David of Seinfeld is a distant cousin to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

But for my money, the treasure trove of programming on PBS may be found in its rich collection of documentaries - both old and new. And among those documentaries are a wide number of films exploring the contributions and history of African Americans.

 

PBS Documentaries During Black History Month in NYC

I'm only going to touch on one of them now, and at a later date will return to engage in a deeper conversation about others. The documentary I watched on PBS this month, was entitled, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard. It was about how an innocent African American veteran was attacked by a white southern police chief [Lynwood Shull] from South Carolina who beat out Woodard's eyes and permanently blinded him in February 1946, while Woodard was changing buses at a bus stop. That's a mighty nasty way to welcome a WWII veteran home and thank him for risking his life to defend us.

Nonetheless, eight years later, the search for justice was fulfilled ... in a way. Of course the all white South Carolina jury let off Police Chief Shull. But that action so enraged President Harry S. Truman, that he ordered a federal investigation into the case. And actor / radio host Orson Welles, took up the cause too, helping make it known what sorts of racial injustices were being perpetrated upon African Americans living and working in the south.

 

The Role of Lewisohn Stadium in Harlem and Famous African American Musicians & Sports Figures

In August 1946, Billie Holiday, Boxing Champion Joe Louis, and others hosted a benefit concert at Lewisohn Stadium in Harlem for Woodard. Lewisohn Stadium was built on a CUNY property in 1915 between 136th and 138th Streets and between Amsterdam and Convent Avenue. It was demolished in 1973 and replaced by the North Academic Center in 1985.

In November of 1946 Police Chief Shulman stood on trial, and was - as expected - acquitted after only 30 minutues of deliberation. The deliberation would have been far shorter had the Judge, Julius Waring, not stepped out of the court room for a walk. The Judge was so outraged at the police chief's behavior and that of the jury as well, that he decided to make them wait.

Anyhow, the justice comes years later, when JudgeWaring presided over another trial, Briggs vs Elliot. Like the Woodard case, it was argued that the racist Jim Crow laws of South Carolina, claiming separate but equal, were a farce and therefore unconstitutional. Judge Waring wrote the dissenting opinion of that case, which like Woodard's had been unrighteously decided, and justice aided in going awry.

 

Attorney Thurgood Marshall Eventually Becomes the First African American Supreme Court Justice

African American Thurgood Marshall prosecuted the case, arguing for equal treatment and resources, for the poor black children of Clarendon County South Carolina. He proved that they were being harmed by this treatment. And while he lost in the state court of South Carolina, he won a unanimous verdict from the Supreme Court in 1954, which was a pretty 'radical' decision for the time. This was the beginning of the end for racial segregation.

Thurgood Marshall would eventually go on to become the first African American Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1967.

 

The Freedom Riders, Martin Luther King, the Kennedys & Johnson

The Freedom Riders came next, in 1961, wherein they protested the racist separation of blacks and whites in intra state buses and stations. The focus of the rides was between Alabama and Mississippi, likely the two most racist states in the nation. In this situation, in May of 1961, Martin Luther King came into support the freedom riders, but he chose not ride with them.

As part of their organizing, there was a large gathering of African American civil rights protesters in a Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. While they were meeting inside with Dr. King and other leaders, an even larger white crowd gathered around the church, determined to 'teach a lesson' to these civil rights activists.

Attorney General Robert Kennedy was determined to help African Americans attain equal status under the law, including exercising their right to vote. He managed to use his influence to get Alabama Governor John Patterson to call up the National Guard to help disperse the white crowd and maintain the peace. Kennedy had to strong arm the Governor, who at one point said he could protect everyone in the church except Martin Luther King. Kennedy held his ground and told the Governor that was unacceptable, so eventually the Governor backed down and the situation was safely defused.

The Kennedys pushed to pass a Civil Rights Bill in 1963 which failed. It took the assassination of JFK and Lyndon Johnson's skillful politicking to pass the bill in 1964, with more to come in 1965. In 2008 the first African American, Barack Obama, was elected President, but the work is not done.

 

Black History Provides Another Important Perspective & Therefore Understanding of our Past

Racism is still alive and well, not just in our country, but around the world. And it's not just people of color, but people of other ethnic groups, like Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, Uighurs and on, and on, and on. But for all the bad news, we are making progress ... slowly.

I'll have more on African American history, specifically as it relates to NYC next week. There are dozens of famous African Americans who either grew up here, or moved and lived a good part of their lives here.

Have a nice week.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue & Artists Open Calls

things to do this weekend in nycFebruary 3, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. We're going to have wintry cold from about 6 pm Friday to about 1 pm Saturday, when the temperatures fall below 20 degrees. Then it's back to our dry, global warming non-winter.

The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 20's on Friday and Saturday, rising significantly on Sunday to about 50 degrees. The temperature lows will be about 8 degrees Friday, rising to the mid 20's on Saturday and the high 30's on Sunday. The humidity will be about 30% on Friday, 40% on Saturday, and 50% on Sunday. Winds will be 20 mph Friday, and then 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

The photo at right was taken inside of City Hall last month. It's a beautiful building, as you can see.

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

OPEN CALL FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS. For details see - https://www.citizensnyc.org/

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

The Winter Jam is on Saturday from 11 am - 3 pm at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. This a winter themed event including skiing, sledding, dodgeball, ice bowling and other wintry sports. As we've really not had any snow this winter, the Parks Department has arranged to have snow machines there to provide what Mother Nature is no longer giving us.

Fresh, Fly and Fabulous is on exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Management at 227 West 27th Street in Chelsea from February 8th to April 23rd. The exhibit is dedicated to Hip Hop not just as music and fashion, but as a lifestyle and cultural statement. Hip Hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Wednesday - Friday from noon to 8 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am - 5 pm. There's an all day symposium on Friday, February 24th. For details see - https://www.fitnyc.edu/

Broadway Week [it's really Broadway Month] began on January 17 and runs through February 12th. Most Broadway shows participate, where theater goers can purchase two tickets for the price of one.

NEXT WEEKEND. On February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/

The BAM Kids Festival is this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, February 4th & 5th. The event is being held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music at 30 Lafayette. For details and tickets see - https://www.bam.org.

On Saturday, February 4th from 11 am - 1 pm there's the Southern Brooklyn Lunar New Year Celebration in the New Utrecht High School Auditorium at 1601 80th Street. There will be a number of cultural performances and entertainment. It's free and it's organized by the Southern Brooklyn Asian Coalition. For details see - https://www.facebook.com/sbccnyc/

NEXT FRIDAY 2/10/23. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is hosting a concert on Friday, February 10th beginning at 7.30 pm at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. They are performing Mozart's Requiem and other songs of reassurance and renewal. Tickets are $20 / $15 at https://bkcm.org/.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 4 pm, from February 2nd to 26th, there will be performances of Senor Bolero at the Thalia Spanish Theatre in Sunnyside. The play is described as a musical comedy about "... love in the times of the bolero. A famous 1960 singer is hired to perform a concert without imagining that fate will lead her to find the love of her life in the least expected way... ". For $45 / $42 / $40 tickets [English / Spanish] and details see - https://thaliatheatre.org/

On Sunday, February 5th beginning at 3 pm in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College at 153-49 Reeves Avenue there will be a performance by Nai Ni Chen Dance Company celebrating the Year of the Water Rabbit. For $15 tickets and details see - https://kupferbergcenter.org/

On Sunday, February 5th from 5 - 7 pm there's a Lunar New Year Celebration at the Tangram Atrium at 133-33 39th Avenue in Flushing. It's free and NYC Comptroller, U.S. Congresswoman Meng and Councilmember Sandra Ung will be there. For details and free tickets see - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunar-new-year-celebration-tickets-505187257687

Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

NEXT THURSDAY 2/9/23. The Chocolate Factory at 38-33 24th Street [at 39th Avenue] in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City, is hosting a performance by Linda Mary Montano entitled 'An Interactive Life and Maybe No Art Experience' or 'Ma and the Seven Chakras' beginning at 8 pm. It's a collaboration that bridges art and life featuring four collaborators. Tickets [$15] and details at - https://chocolatefactorytheater.org or https://issueprojectroom.org.

IN TWO WEEKS. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.

OPEN CALL ACTING. Auditions for two short plays, Molting and Snug The Joiner, are to be held February 25, March 4, 10 & 16. Winners will perform in the Queens Short Play Festival being held in the Secret Theatre in their new location. For details see - https://secrettheatre.com

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

OPEN CALL ARTISTS. The Bartow Pell Mansion has issued an Open Call to artists to participate in a nearly month-long exhibition in March of this year. The theme of the exhibit is Nature Inspires: Contemporary Art Show. The deadline for submissions is February 3rd, 2023. For details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Call-to-Artists-Nature-Inspires.pdf

Pregones / PRTT presents its 7th annual 21 Islands International Short Film Fest via streaming for free from February 1 - 12, 2023. For details see - https://pregonesprtt.org/

The Bronx Museum at 1040 Grand Concourse has been featuring a Black History book club weekly. This Saturday from 12 noon to 1.30 pm is the last session, where they talk about the end of the book 'Begin Again' by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. For details and rsvp see - https://bronxmuseum.org. Maximum attendees is 30.

The Doc Film Center at 614 Cortlandt Avenue is hosting a couple of photography skills classes beginning at 10 am [dark room / film processing] and at 11 am [digital photography]. Both classes cost over $100 each as they cover not just this class, but more including some materials. The Doc Film Center stated they can help folks finance the class/es. For details see - https://www.bronxdoc.org

OPEN CALL ARTISTS / CURATORS. Bronx Art Space has issued an open call to emerging art curators, with a deadline of March 19th, for an April Show. For details see - http://www.bronxartspace.com

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday from 6 - 8 pm at the Historic Richmond Town there's a Grassland Band Concert at the Tavern. And on Wednesday from 7.30 - 9.30 pm there's an English Country Dance. For details and tickets [$18 and $10 respectively] see - https://www.historicrichmondtown.org

There are ongoing exhibits about lighthouses and related subjects at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island. There's also a small exhibit about the first African American lighthouse keeper at Cape Henry Light, and another of the Pea Island Life Saving Station.

Have a good one.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

New Play at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Boat Show at the Javits, Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year Celebrations Continue, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival Ending, 1st Irish Festival in LIC & Artists Open Call in the Bronx

things to do this weekend in nycJanuary 27, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 40's on Friday and around 50 the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 30's on Friday, rising to about 40 the rest of the weekend. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. No precipitation is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right is the NYC skyline in Midtown, looking west from Queens. We've gone 324 days without measureable snow, the second longest period on record. The longest was 332 days set in 2000. Based on the most recent forecast, we're going to break that record and may go the entire winter without measureable snow. This is not good news. We all need to do whatever we can to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And, however small it may seem, if you multiply it by seven billion [people on the planet], it won't seem so small.

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, January 28 from 1 - 4.30 pm and from 6 - 9.30 pm there's a Wine Tasting at Chelsea Industrial at 535-549 West 28th Street in Manhattan. For $19 tickets and details see - https://winefestnewyork.com. 

The Winter Boat Show began at the Javits Center at 35th Street and 11th Avenue on Wednesday and runs through Sunday, January 29th. Tickets are $20 / $17 / $15. For details see - https://www.nyboatshow.com/.

On Saturday & Sunday, January 28 & 29 from 10 am t0 5 pm there's a Year of the Rabbit Lunar New Year Fair at the East Broadway Mall at 88 East Broadway in Chinatown. The market is comprised of about a dozen vendors selling food, embroidery, jewelry, clothes, Taiwanese objects, art and stationery. For details see - https://welcometochinatown.com.

The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.

The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through Sunday. For details see https://www.thewintershow.org/.

On February 12 beginning at 1 pm the Chinese Lunar New Year parade begins in Chinatown. The parade steps off at the corner of Mott and Hester Street marching down to Chatham Square, then heads across East Broadway and up Forsyth Street, ending in Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Like the Queens Lunar New Year parade, this actually occurs outside of the official Chinese Lunar New Year dates.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

On Saturday, January 28 from 2 to 5 pm there's a Lunar New Year Celebration organized by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership at Albee Square where DeKalb, Bond and Fulton Streets meet. It will have lion dancing among other performances. For details see - https://www.downtownbrooklyn.com.

On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit

NEXT WEEK. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

On Friday and Saturday, at 7 pm and 2 pm respectively, a new original play entitled Lemons, will be performed at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at 31-10 Thomson Avenue in Long Island City. The play is described as, "... Exploring how social media, capitalism, and “positive thinking” affects our individual and collective relationship to grief, Lemons is a darkly funny four-person play centering on an obsession with a fitness guru's instagram account. A grieving woman presents a personal essay that quickly devolves into theatrical mayhem as her carefully constructed argument is interrupted and undermined by ghosts, fantasies, dance, and doom scrolling. Lemons is an examination of female strength, both physical and emotional, in the face of capitalist patriarchy. Exploring the intersection of capitalism and wellness culture/self-care, which is overwhelmingly marketed to women, Lemons looks at how societal expectations have come to inform our relationship to grief, our identities, our bodies, and each other...". For $15 tickets and details see - https://www.lpac.nyc/upcoming-events/lemons

The Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit began Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. Flushing Queens jumped the gun vis a vis the official lunar new year dates, by hosting its parade last Saturday, which was a day before the official start of the lunar new year.

On Sunday, January 29th from 3 to 4 pm Sunnyside Shines is hosting a Lion Dance and march from Lowery Plaza at 40th Street underneath the #7 train, along Queens Blvd to Bliss Plaza at 46th Street at Queens Plaza. Free.

Flushing Town Hall opened a photo exhibit, entitled This is Home, on January 21 and it runs through February 26th. The exhibit shows excerpts from some of the lives of Asian Americans living in NYC, both here and abroad. For details see https://www.flushingtownhall.org/.

On Tuesday, January 31 there's a reading of 'Brigid' as part of the Origin 1st Irish Festival, from 7 to 9 pm at the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue at 51st Avenue in Long Island City. For $2 tickets and details see - https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org

NEXT WEEKEND. On Sunday, February 5th beginning at 3 pm in the Colden Auditorium at Queens College at 153-49 Reeves Avenue there will be a performance by Nai Ni Chen Dance Company. See the full description below, as they will be performing at Hostos College in the Bronx this week.

IN TWO WEEKS. On Thursday, February 16 from 6.30 - 8.30 pm Materials For The Arts at 3300 Northern Blvd in Long Island City will be hosting a Lunar New Year mask making event using recycled materials. They are doing this in tandem with the Asian American Arts Alliance. For details see - https://www.liclny.com/events/mfta-and-asian-american-arts-alliance-celebrate-lunar-new-year.

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

The Bartow Pell Mansion has issued an Open Call to artists to participate in a nearly month-long exhibition in March of this year. The theme of the exhibit is Nature Inspires: Contemporary Art Show. The deadline for submissions is February 3rd, 2023. For details see - https://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Call-to-Artists-Nature-Inspires.pdf

On Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm there's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx. The event is described as follows, "... In honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th year anniversary, the dance company will be performing a special rendition of the lion dance with a hip-hop rhythm. Other performances include YungGe from northern China, Peacock Dance from the southern Yunnan province, Spear Dance, and the crowd-favorite Dragon Dance...". Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/

On Tuesday, January 31 beginning at 7.30 pm there's a musical performance entitled, Songs to the Unknown, which is a part of the Voices of the New 2023 Winter Festival at Roulette Intermedium at 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue in Boerum Hill in Brooklyn. For $20 tickets and details see www.voicesofascension.org/votn.

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Sunday, January 29, beginning at 6 pm there's a showing on the big screen of the classic Marilyn Monroe / Tony Curtis / Jack Lemmon movie - Some Like it Hot - at the St. George Theatre at 35 Hyatt Street on Staten Island. For $20 tickets and details see - https://stgeorgetheatre.com

There's an ongoing exhibit of a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.

On Monday, January 30 from 8.30 - 4 pm the Alice Austen House Museum will be particpating into a program entitled Grow Into Yourself at the High School of Fashion Industries at 225 West 24th Street in Manhattan. Apparently Alice Austen was a lesbian photographer living on Staten Island.

 

Have a nice weekend.


Things to do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Winter Show at the Park Avenue Armory, The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit Begins, Winter Jazz Festival & the January Arts Festival continue

things to do this weekend in nycJanuary 20, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's throughout the weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 40 degrees on Sunday. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will be about 50% - 60% on Friday and Saturday, rising to about 85% Sunday afternoon as the rain pours in. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of rain is expected starting around 3 pm.

The photo at right shows folks walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, even amidst the dreary weather.

 

NYC Things To Do This Weekend

There's outdoor skating at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in Midtown, and at Wollman Rink in the southeast corner of Central Park and at the Harlem Meer in the northeast corner of Central Park. Also in Prospect Park and Coney Island in Brooklyn, Cloves Lake on Staten Island, and in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. For details see https://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/iceskating

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend

things to do this weekend in nycOn Sunday from 11 am - 3.30 pm there's a Chinese Lunar New Year Firecracker celebration in Sara Roosevelt Park at Chrystie and Forsyth on the Lower East Side in East Chinatown.

Also on Sunday, but from 11 am - 1 pm nearby on Mott Street at Grand Street [if not there head south toward Canal Street], there's an artsy lantern reveal exhibition on the street by Think Chinatown. For details see https://www.thinkchinatown.org/

The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform began Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival began on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/ which runs through most of this month of January 2023.

At right is a photo of a man at Tompkins Square Park communing with the pigeons. See another photo below showing just how popular he is with the pigeon population in the East Village.

The Winter Show [formerly Winter Antiques Show] has returned to the Park Avenue Amory on the Upper East Side and the show runs through next weekend. Details coming - or see https://www.thewintershow.org/.

 

Queens Things To Do This Weekend

things to do this weekend in nycThe Chinese Lunar New Year in celebration of the year of the rabbit begins Sunday, January 22, 2022 and runs through February 9th, 2023. There will be celebrations throughout NYC and we'll update you beginning this weekend and beyond. Details coming.

Flushing Town Hall has an exhibit. Details coming.

Long Island City is hosting some Lunar New Year events. Details coming.

 

Brooklyn Things To Do This Weekend

NEXT WEEK. On Saturday, January 28th from 11 am to 2 pm, the CPC [Chinese-American Planning Council] will co-host a Lunar New Year Event in Sunset Park Recreation Center at 4200 7th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The event activities include a traditional lion dance, performances, giveaways, interactive games, raffles and contests. For details see - https://www.cpc-nyc.org/events/cpc-bcs-lunar-new-year-celebration-2023-year-rabbit

TWO WEEKS FROM NOW. The CPC celebration [see above entry] continues on Saturday, February 4, with Lunar New Year calligraphy, arts and crafts and trivia for prizes in the Auditorium at New Utrecht High School at 1601 80th Street, in collaboration with community partners from throughout South Brooklyn. For details see https://www.prospectpark.org/

 

Bronx Things To Do This Weekend

things to do this weekend in nycOn Saturday January 21, 2023 from 10 am - 1 pm there's a family friend workshop where you can create a fan for lunar new year at Wave Hill at 4900 Independence Avenue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. It's Free w/ admission to the grounds. For details see www.wavehill.org or https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/wave-hill/events/2023/01/21/family-art-project-fan-for-lunar-new-year1

The photo at right was taken at the East 96th subway station. I occasionally think back to what our predecessors left behind for us in terms of a robust infrastructure that has by and large held up through the changes for about a century. And then I ask myself, what are we going to leave behind for future generations?

NEXT WEEK. There's a Nai Ni Chen Dance Company performances at Hostos College at 450 Grand Concourse in the Concourse neighborhood of the Bronx on Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 3 pm. Tickets are $12 / $10 / $5 at https://www.hostos.cuny.edu/

 

Staten Island Things To Do This Weekend

On Sunday, January 22, Snug Harbor is hosting a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration from 12 noon - 3 pm. Details coming.

On Sunday, January 22, beginning at 2 pm / 3 pm there's an exhibit opening and lecture about a collection of stamps that features lighthouses prominently on them at the Lighthouse Museum at 200 The Promenade in the St. George neighborhood of Staten Island.

 

Have a nice weekend.


Economic Outlook 2023

Employment Steady, Inflation Subsiding, Consumer Confidence Up, Government Stimulus Fading, Fed Tightening 'Should' Stop After .25% Increase at Next FOMC Meeting, Most Global Supply Side Issues have been Corrected, Oil Prices Below a Year Ago, and the Dollar is Strong

January 17, 2023 / NYC Business News / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 40's and the temperature lows will be around 40, dropping to 35 degrees on Friday. No rain is expected EXCEPT on Thursday, where up to an inch of rain will fall during the day. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Tuesday and Thursday and will be 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday and Friday. Humidity will rise from 45% to 80% on Tuesday, fall back into the 60% range on Wednesday, rise into the 80% range on Thursday with the rain, and fall back into the 60% range on Friday.

 

I. Economic Background - Mostly CoVid Disruptions of Global Supply Chains and Government Fiscal Policy Responses

In recent months I have spent a fair amount of time catching up on what's happening in the economy overall, in an attempt to guage what lies ahead. It's important to realize where we are in the business cycle, in order to figure out what to expect going forward.

 

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc* Since March of 2020, we've been in a bit of a pandemic spin. The 2020 pandemic essentially halted most hospitality businesses and softened demand for some services, but drove high demand for both durable and non-durable goods. This is on the demand side. Meanwhile on the supply side, businesses were closing down, or working at far less than capacity, because of the health impact of the pandemic. For example in China, they didn't just appear to shutter businesses, but almost entire cities, to curb the spread of CoVid. China is where much of our electronics are made so this impacted the availability / supply of electronics at a time when Americans were spending more on them, because they weren't traveling, vacationing or even eating out much, so they had extra cash to spend on items, most notably electronics.

The U.S. federal government [as did many governments throughout the world] kept many businesses afloat through expansive monetary policy and generous fiscal spending via CoVid Relief packages which put money in the hands of local businesses, governments and individuals. The fiscal stimulus / excess government spending began in 2020 during the Trump Administration, and ended in early 2021 under the Biden Administration.

The first chart above right shows the federal government excess fiscal spending during the pandemic. Both Trump and Biden temporarily increased government spending in order to keep the economy rolling through the pandemic.

 

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycAnd the expansive monetary policy, which was executed by taking the federal funds interest rate to nearly zero in March of 2020, and by pushing $4 trillion cash into the economy via purchases of bonds, wasn't reined in for years, and that withdrawal finally began in 2022. We'll discuss this more further down in this report.

The chart at right first shows how the Federal Reserve immediately dropped the federal funds rate to zero in the Spring of 2020, to keep liquidity in the economy as the pandemic hit. And then it shows how the Federal Reserve very, very aggressively jacked up interest rates to offset inflation beginning in 2022, because they were slow to react to the rise in prices in 2021. Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, was nominated first by President Trump and renominated by President Biden.

The chart below right, shows how in the Spring of 2020, the Federal Reserve pushed $4 trillion in liquidity into the economy, doubling its liabilities. In 2022, the Federal Reserve began pulling some of that liquidity out of the market / off the table.

 

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc* In 2021 things began to normalize as vaccinations rolled out and we began to gain a better understanding of how to mitigate the health impact of the CoVid pandemic. But the year wasn't a straight line out of the pandemic, as the new variants continued to wreak havoc with our collective assessment of how risky it would be to return to normal.

Toward the end of 2021, Russian-like media Oligarch Rupert Murdoch, used his Goebbels-like propaganda outlets, including the NY Post, Fox News and the Wall St. Journal to hype American's uneasiness with supply chains in the economy, which Murdoch propagandist's labeled as Biden's economy.

 

* In February 2022 economic risks rise, as fascist dictator Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in what he called a 'Special Military Operation'. The Russian War in Ukraine hasn't gone well for Putin. To maintain the war, he is crippling the long term prospects for the Russian economy, as the Russian people continue to act like peasants, allowing the brutal dictator and his elitest friends, to walk all over them, including sending them to their graves fighting for Putin's narcissistic place in history.

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycPutin's military intervention / disruption, of course added risk to the global economy. Especially in two key segments of the economy which includes food and energy. Russia supplies about 12% of the world's oil, and along with Ukraine accounts for about a third of the world's wheat and barley. Hence Putin's war added significant inflationary pressure to both energy and food.

As you can see in the chart at right, the price of oil spiked up following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine in the Winter of 2022. The price of oil has since come back down to a few bucks below where it was a year ago.

 

* In November and December of 2022, and continuing into January of 2023, dictator President Xi Jin Ping has been retreating from his draconian, control-freak style CoVid lockdown measures. The Chinese, in a rare break from their own peasantry past, started to rebel against the policies, and so Xi started to relent. The Chinese economic growth fell from 8% in 2021 [like us the growth was accentuated because of a depressed 2020 CoVid economy] to 3% in 2022. Thus, at the end of 2023, in contrast to 2022 [which wasn't anywhere near as bad as Murdoch's Fox, NY Post and WSJ hyped it], things are largely returning to normal - except for the Ukraine situation, which continues.

 

II. Economic Background - Government Responses Included Monetary Policies Layered on Top of Fiscal Policies

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycTo summarize what I laid out above, there were swings in demand fueled by lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic, including generous fiscal spending by the U.S. government. And there were significant supply side swings in capacity, which were driven by worker availability arising from health concerns.

Globally, we've spent the past couple years working through these huge economic demand and supply displacements, due in part to the disruptions of the vaccination roll outs caused by misunderstandings / misinformation about vaccine efficacy, risks and the new CoVid variants. This economic uncertainty was exacerbated by Russian dictator President Putin's undeclared war on Ukraine, which further disrupted the supply of both food and energy - which are two key components of the economy.

So, along with the U.S. governmment's expansive fiscal policies, pursued via massive transfer payments to large and small businesses and individuals, the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve, pursued an expansive monetary policy by, 1) dropping the Fed Funds rate to nearly zero [0% - .25%] in March of 2020, and 2) they pursued an incredibly expansionary monetary policy whereby they pushed liquidity [cash] into the U.S. financial system by buying a lot of bonds. In the latter move they pushed about $4 trillion into the economy in a very short period of time, doubling their position of prior years.

As you can see in the chart above, inflation picked up toward the end of 2021, peaked in June of 2022, and appears to be heading back down toward normal, which economists expect it will approach by the end of 2023 [3.3% inflation] and in 2024. The Fed benchmark inflation rate is 2.0 - 2.5%.

 

III. So, Today, Where We At?

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycWhat's next is a look at a multitude of economic statistics with some nominal interpretation of what I expect to happen, all things being equal [meaning no further major disruptions], in 2023.

 

Expansive Fiscal Policies Ending, but Lag Times & the Multiplier Effect

As you can see by the first graphs at the top of this report, the Biden Administration has already brought the federal budget back into alignment with its historical trend, after a couple of years of excessive spending that began during the last year of the Trump Administration and continued into the first year of the Biden Administration.

In economics there's a lag time between when something is done at the federal level in fiscal policy and its full effects work through the economy. It's called the multiplier effect and I oftentimes wonder if Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell missed the classes in school that focused on it. The lag time can range from about six months to two years. I am seeing anecdotal evidence that the spending is drying up in the NYC economy, as Mayor Adams recent budget cuts indicate.

 

Tale of Two Governments - NYS Governor Hochul has $19 Billion in Unspent CoVid Relief Funding, While NYC Mayor Adams is Making Cuts in NYC

Many businesses and households didn't spend all of the money they saved during the pandemic, so there's still some of that stimulus that will continue working its way through the economy in the coming year or two. For example, while NYC Mayor Adams is cutting expenses, NYS Governor Hochul has about $19 billion, or 44% of the emergency funding allocations left to spend. Perhaps Hochul and Adams ought to talk about NYC getting a bit of NYS help, given half of the state lives here.

So in the case of NYC and NYS you have two different viewpoints - one where money is scarce and the other where it isn't ... yet. I say yet, because the MTA is still operating below prepandemic levels and thus NYS will have to continue making up the short fall, and the NYC cuts to education may need to be offset by an increase in NYS spending on the same.

 

Demand Side of the Economy - Employment and Businesses & Households Wealth Effect

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycBusinesses and Households balance sheets also improved, in part because of stimulus funds and in part because spending was held back on services, like travel and hospitality, during the pandemic. Spending came roaring back in 2021, as the pandemic began to fade, but in 2022 it has subsided considerably. Most recently, retail sales were down about 1% in December of 2022, so the economy is definitely cooling.

In the top row of the chart at right is Gross Domestic Product [GDP is the total production value of the economy] and Employment, respectively, for 2021, 2022 and estimates for 2023. GDP [top left] softened in the first and second quarters of 2022, but came back in the third quarter, before falling again in the fourth quarter [estimated]. GDP is expected to remain soft in the first part of 2023, before coming back at the end of 2023. Likewise with Employment [top right], which has been softening. The U.S. is expected to lose some jobs in the first couple / three quarters of the year as rising interest rates dampen consumption and business investment.

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycSo far the strong job market, with rising compensation, and up until 2022, a rising stock and housing market, added to Americans' confidence and contributed to robust spending in 2021 [see chart at right].

But as interest rates have risen, job growth has slowed, and layoffs by a number of the nation's largest tech companies [10,000 layoffs expected by Microsoft alone] begin to take root in the Economic Psyche of the American consumer, demand and productivity are expected to fall as noted by the GDP chart above right [top row on the left].

 

Inflation vs Market Liquidity Risk

Another aspect of the slowing economy is the impact of the Fed policiies in 2022. They rose rates rapidly and they've been taking liquidity out of the market via bond sales - both of which should have begun in 2021. And now they are on the verge of causing a recession because it seems they are not taking into account the multiplier effect and the lag time with which it takes for economic policy to work itself through the nation's $25 trillion economy.

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycIf I were Jerome Powell, I would increase the Fed Funds rate a .25% at the next FOMC [Federal Open Market Committee] meeting at the end of January and signal that I might be done. And the only reason I would raise if .25% is because the market expects that and I wouldn't want to spook them, not because the economy needs further braking.

The Fed was a contributor in part to the inflationary problem we have - although Vladimir Putin and the disruptions caused by the pandemic should be given credit too. And the Fed is on the verge of contributing to a recession, which it might have to correct for too. For my money Powell isn't a steady hand, but if he stops now, he might avoid overplaying his monetary hand like he did when the pandemic first hit.

One last word on interest rates and inflation. Inflation ticked up considerably in the first half of 2022, which is why the numbers should begin muting rather quickly in the first half of 2023 - because the prior year numbers are already inflated. See chart below right for a month by month account of inflation last year.

 

Supply Side - Oil Supplies Flowing, China Coming Back on Line, Russian Disruptions Contained & Federal Government Investments

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycChina has rolled back its restrictive CoVid policies. This will increase the supply of semiconductors, which should reduce price pressures in categories such as vehicles and electronics, which account for about 3% of the 8% of inflation we experienced in 2022 [light and dark blues of the chart below right].

The Biden Administration passed a bipartisan Semiconductor bill which is expected to bring more high paying jobs in the semiconductor industry back to the U.S. It will also alleviate the shortage in the long term.

Energy costs, as already mentioned, are primarily related to the rise in oil prices last year, due in great part to Russia's war in the Ukraine as previously shown in the chart above. In the chart below, yellow denotes the contribution of energy costs to inflation, representing between 2% - 3% of the 8% inflation of 2022 in the graph below right.

The Biden Administration reached out to Venezuela, which has the world's largest oil reserves, to provide more oil, which is being done with the help of Chevron.

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycAnd food, also experienced inflation due not just to the war in the Ukraine, but also climate change weather disruptions of drought and damaging storms. In the chart below right that's denoted in green and represents about 1% of the inflation last year.

The food category may continue to experience inflationary pressures because of climate change. The Biden Administration passed the Infrastructure Bill and the Inflation Reduction Act, both of which contain provisions designed to address the growing threat of climate change. Here I have to take issue with at least one provision [more later as I think some of this bill was ill-conceived by policy makers], and that is the roll out of electric vehicle recharging stations.

 

Time to Rethink - Why Don't Battery Makers Make Swappable Batteries that Consumers Can Re-Load in Minutes at a Fuel Station Instead of Waiting 20 - 30 Minutes to Re-Charge a Car?

I don't get it. Some of the smartest people on the planet are engineering these new technologies, but for some reason don't seem to be able to see the forest through the trees. The government should mandate that all electic vehicles be required to operate on a standard electric battery signed off on by the industry. The battery should represent an eighth of a tank of gas or equivalent, so that a driver can 'refuel' each time one of those batteries has dropped its load. In this manner drivers don't have to wait to recharge their cars, and the U.S. government doesn't have to install all of this unnecessary infrastructure. Set up the recharging stations near the power plant for greater efficiencies.

 

Risks - Debt Ceiling Gambit by Kevin McCarthy & The  Republicans

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nycDisinfo

Climate Change

Russia / China

 

 

 

Conclusion - It Could be a Good Year if McCarthy, Putin & Powell are Held in Check

nyc business local businesses in nyc manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island nyc

Government Spending

Monetary Policy

Currency

Inflation

Interest Rates / Fed / Housing / Automotive

 

 

Almost done. This will be completed at a later date.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Friday the 13th, Martin Luther King Day Weekend, Skating

things to do this weekend in nycJanuary 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken a week ago at City Hall, where Mayor Adams opened himself up to a wide range of questions from the local press. This week the Mayor released the Preliminary Budget for NYC for 2024.

 

Friday the 13th - Origins of a Superstition

things to do this weekend in nycAccording to Wikipedia, the number 13 has been considered unlucky beginning with a Norse mythological story about how the 13th guest caused the death of a dinner host. They tell us that the connection between unlucky 13 and Friday didn't start until early in the 1800's, specifically citing an 1834 play called 'The Finesse of the Scribbles', wherein one of the characters says that he was born on Friday the 13th and that is the origin of all of his misfortunes. Greek and Spanish cultures cite Tuesday the 13th as the unlucky day. Friday the 13th occurs at least once every year and there is no proof that it is any different from any other day. So while I'd recommend caution on any day, I wouldn't hesitate to do just about anything you normally do on this day.

The photo at right was taken of the back of City Hall in lower Manhattan. The foliage and ground are pretty brown and green for this time of year.

 

Martin Luther King Day Weekend

Weekend events coming early / mid afternoon. Please check back again later today.

 


Martin Luther King Day Weekend Events / Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the MLK Day Weekend

nyc things to do columbus day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island columbus day weekend nycJanuary 13, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 50's on Friday, the high 30's on Saturday and the mid 40's on Sunday and Monday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. No precipitation is in the forecast. The humidity will be in the 60% range on Friday, the 50% range on Saturday, the 40% range on Sunday and Monday. The winds will be 12 - 17 mph on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dropping to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

 

Brief History of Martin Luther King Holiday in NYC

Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist Minister who became the leading voice for African Americans' non-violent civil rights movement beginning in the mid 1950's through to his assassination in 1968. In 1983, the third Monday of every year was set aside to honor Martin Luther King for his service to the nation. The third Monday was chosen, as it was the nearest Monday to the anniversary of King's birthday, which was January 15, 1929.

Martin Luther King Day has grown to take on an even larger meaning, as it is oftentimes referred to as a day on, versus a day off. Organizations around the city and nation have used the day to call people into action to address the needs of the community through volunteering and service.

As Martin Luther King Day is a national holiday, it's worth keeping in mind that many / most federal offices will be closed, along with a number of businesses.

The following links will take you to MLK Day of Service and civil rights related events happening over the MLK Weekend in each NYC borough.

Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Martin Luther King Day Weekend on Staten Island.

Have a nice weekend. Enjoy.


The Nurses Strike at Mt Sinai & Montefiore Hospitals

One Nurse Told me She Felt Like Nurses had gone from Heroes to Zeroes

healthcare nyc manhattan bronx nurses strike nysna mt sinai montefiore bronx nurses strike nycJanuary 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Healthcare / Gotham Buzz NYC.

On Monday I made the trip to the Mount Sinai Medical Center between 5th and Madison Avenues and between 99th and 101st Street on the Upper East Side. Mt Sinai is the hold out in completing negotiations or even resuming them with the New York State Nurses Association union or NYSNA.

By last Friday, January 6, 2023, New York Presbyterian Hospital, the Maimonides Medical Center and Richmond University Medical Center had reached tentative agreements with the NYSNA union that included improvements in safe staffing and wages.

By Saturday, January 7, 2023 the NYSNA tweeted that BronxCare Health System and Flushing Hospital Medical Center had "reached tentative agreements that will improve safe staffing levels and enforcement, increase wages by 7%, 6%, and 5%, and save their healthcare benefits."

By Monday, January 9, 2023 about 7,100 pf the 42,000 nurses in the NYSNA union were set to go on strike at Mt Sinai in Manhattan and Montefiore in the Bronx. When I arrived around noon time at Mount Sinai in Manhattan on Monday, the NYSNA had a strong showing by their members. And the vehicular traffic appeared to be highly supportive of them, which you will see in the video I shot when I post it later today. The strikers were stationed primarily on Madison Avenue at about 99th Street, and there was a speaker there, but I really couldn't hear what she had to say with all the surrounding commotion, you'll see that too.

So I found a few nurses talking things over a bit away from the crowd, and I spoke with them. They told me that the strike is primarily about two issues: 1) staffing levels and 2) compensation. I learned a couple of things I didn't hear reported in the corporate media, which I'll share. But please note that I've not yet had a chance to confirm these findings with either of the hospitals still on strike.

The first thing they told me is that the staffing levels vis a vis patient loads are and remain the primary cause of the strike. They said that in the last union negotiation the hospitals agreed to put in recommended grids for staffing levels per patient for the various hospital units, which was a good first step. The problem is that the new staffing grids were not made enforceable.

Thus, because the staffing grids per patient remain unenforceable, I was told that they are exceeded too often. The trouble with this, they told me [and remember these are not the official spokespeople for the union, but rather rank and file union members, and I haven't yet cross referenced these findings with either hospital - see below] is that when you exceed the recommended staffing levels for prolonged periods of time, the probability of staff mistakes rise [dispensing meds and providing treatments], and hence this isn't just unsafe for patients, but it also puts the licenses of the nurses in jeopardy, should they make a mistake.

The second thing they told me was that the corporate media tells New Yorkers that the striking nurses are holding out for higher percentage pay increases vis a vis the nurses at the other hospitals who have reached tentative deals. They thought this characterization was incomplete - if not unfair - as the nurses at Mt Sinai and Montefiore have lower pay scales than the nurses at the other NYC hospitals.

By Wednesday morning, January 11th, Montefiore had resumed negotiations with the NYNSA.

This is the first major strike by New York nurses in decades. One of the nurses said during the pandemic healthcare professionals were hailed at Heroes, while today - just a few short years later - they're treated like Zeroes. I will post the video later today and if should Montefiore or Mt Sinai Hospitals decide to provide me with comments, I will post them here later today.

Lastly, please note that none of the people I spoke with are featured in any video or photos of the strike.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Full Weekend of the New Year - 2nd Anniversary of the Trump Insurrection, Three Kings Day Parade, Greek, Ukrainian & Russian Orthodox Christmas Weekend, Shabbat Dinner, January Under the Radar Festival Begins, Mulchfest Ending & a Couple of Holiday Market Sales

things to do this weekend in nycJanuary 5, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday and Saturday, descending to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's all weekend. The humidity will be 70% on Friday, 60% on Saturday and between 50% and 70% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. A scant amount of precipitation is expected early Friday morning, as well as late Sunday night. It appears to be something one needn't worry too much about.

In the photo at right, taken last week in Manhattan, you can see Macy's in the background, in all of its holiday glory.

 

White House, Washington, D.C. - Failed Insurrection

President Biden is planning to commemorate the failed Trump Insurrection of January 6th, 2021, with a White House event planned on Friday.

 

Around NYC - Mulchfest Ends Sunday

NYC Parks Department is hosting Mulchfest at various locations in each borough through Sunday, January 8th. This is an opportunity to recycle your Christmas trees and wreaths. Find a location and time that suits you - https://www.nycgovparks.org/highlights/festivals/mulchfest

 

Manhattan

things to do this weekend in nycOn Friday there's a Three Kings Day Parade and celebration from 11 am - 2 pm at the Museo del Barrio at 1230 5th Avenue [at 104th / 105th Street] on the UES. They are also hosting a post holiday sale at their gift shop with 15% off most items. For details see - https://www.elmuseo.org/

January Arts Festival began this week and runs through the end of the month. The Under the Radar Jazz Festival, Chamber Music America and Opera Theatre Now are all on various stages this weekend. For details see https://www.janartsnyc.org/

In the photo at right, taken in Midtown Manhattan last week, you can see the crowds have returned to NYC.

The annual Origami holiday exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West [btwn 77th & 81st] on the Upper West Side runs through January 16th, 2023. This year the exhibit is entitled 'Beautiful Bugs' to highlight the important role of insects in the planet ecosystem.

NEXT WEEK. The Joyce Theatre American Dance Platform begins Tuesday, January 10th and the Winter Jazz Festival begins on Thursday, January 12th. It's all part of the January Arts Festival - https://www.janartsnyc.org/

 

Brooklyn

On Friday there's the Brooklyn Brownstone Jazz Ensemble Concert Series beginning at 7.30 pm at 107 Macon Street in the Bed Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Tickets are $39 at https://brownstonejazz.business.site/

The Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden continues through January 8th, 2023. Tickets cost $40 for adults / $20 for kids and babies (0-2) are free.

 

Queens

On Friday from 11 am - 2 pm there's a Job Fair in Queens at BJ's Wholesale Club at 137-05 20th Avenue in the College Point neighborhood of Queens.

NEXT WEEK. There's a closing reception at the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning at 161-04 Jamaica Avenue in the Jamaica section of Queens, next Friday, January 13th, from 5 pm - 9 pm. The exhibit is called The Art of Women and the Sacred Landscape of the Divine Feminine. It's free but you should rsvp at https://www.jcal.org/.

NEXT WEEK. Friday & Saturay, January 13th & 14th beginning at 7 pm there's a performance by Compass [dance group] about the evolution from patriarchal power at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center . Tickets are $15 at http://lpac.nyc.

 

Bronx

things to do this weekend in nycThe Third Avenue holiday market at 2817 3rd Avenue between 148th and 149th Streets is open for its final day on Friday, January 6th from 11 am - 7 pm.

There's a Shabbat Dinner at the Bronx Jewish Center at 900 Pelham Parkway beginning at 7 pm in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood in the Bronx on Friday.

In the photo at right, taken last week, you see the Orpheum Theater in the East Village, where STOMP, a dance and musical performance show, will end its 29 year long run on Sunday, January 8th. In April of this year, the Phantom of the Opera, the longest running musical on Broadway [35 years], will also close.

The Holiday Train Show [1/6 - 1/16/23 except Monday 1/9/23] & Glow [Saturdays 1/7 and 1/14 only ] exhibits run through the holidays at the New York Botanical Garden at 2900 Southern Blvd in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. The train show tickets cost $35 / $31 / $20 and the Glow tickets cost $39 / $24 at https://www.nybg.org/.

The Holiday Lights show at the Bronx Zoo at 2300 Southern Blvd continues through January 8th. Tickets are $40 / $35 / $25 at https://bronxzoo.com.

 

Staten Island

There's a Winter Lantern Festival at 75 Richmond Terrace [the stadium] on Staten Island. The show runs through January 8th, 2023. Tickets are $18 / $29 at https://www.winterlanternfestival.com.

On Friday and Saturday at the Conference House in Tottenville, there's the Festival of Trees.

 

I hope your new year is off to a good start. Enjoy your first weekend.


New Years Resolutions 2023: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

new years resolutions nyc nys 202January 1, 2023 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to continue the transition from pandemic to endemic - assuming we're not already almost there - given that there are likely to be lingering long term CoVid effects and that we may never return to a pre-CoVid normal.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally to make 2023 a better year for you.


New Years Eve Parties & Events in NYC 2022 / 2023

It Seems a Mostly Normalized Holiday as of this Writing, but Requiring a few Adjustments

December 6, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc new years eve parties nyc new years eve restaurants new years eve NYE parties bronx manhattan brooklyn queens staten island nycWeather Forecast for New Years Eve. It's still a bit early to obtain a reliable weather forecast for New Years Eve, which is a bit less than four weeks away.

But the typical weather since 1907 on New Years Eve in NYC at Times Square is about 34 degrees. Global warming is likely to alter that as a forecast. We'll post an updated weather forecast when we're less than two weeks out, and a more specific weather forecast is possible.

Here are links to some New Years Eve parties and events planned around the five boroughs. These pages are in the process of being updated and we expect to finish them in the coming week or two. But you can browse the restaurants and see what they did last year and if you're interested we've included contact information as well.

Bronx New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Brooklyn New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Manhattan New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Queens New Years Eve Parties & Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Staten Island New Years Eve Parties and Events 2022 / 2023 NYC

Enjoy.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Christmas and Hanukkah Will Soon End, and Kwanzaa Will Soon Begin, Also New Years Eve Parties and Events

things to do this weekend in nycDecember 23, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The termperature highs descend from the mid 50's Friday, to about 20 on Saturday, rising to about 30 on Sunday and Monday, which is a holiday. The temperature lows fall like a rock to about 10 degrees Friday night, before rising to 15 on Saturday, 20 on Sunday and 25 on Monday. The humidity drops from 70% on Friday to 50% by the end of the day, and then remains in the 40% - 50% range for the rest of the weekend, including Monday. As of the time of this post, there's a 70% chance around midday of about 1/10 inch of precipitation. The winds will fall from a blustery 20 mph + on Friday, to 15 mph on Saturday, to 10 - 15 mph on Sunday, down to 5 - 10 mph on Monday.

The photo at right was taken earlier this month at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan. The crowds are back, but there might not yet, be as many foreign tourists as in the past.

 

Global - NORAD Santa Tracker

Click this link to follow Santa as he and his flying reindeer traverse the globe on Christmas eve and morning to make sure that all the good boys and girls receive gifts from the jolly, centuries-old man. Be sure to leave some milk and cookies for both Santa and the reindeer, and - while I must admit this is totally unconfirmed hearsay - I hear Santa occasionally drinks of the job. So if you leave a nip of something alcoholic to consume along with the milk and cookies, note that it might possibly be ignored, but also may not be unwelcome. Remember, just because that glass of something alcoholic was emptied between the time you went to bed on Christmas Eve and the time you awoke on Christmas morning, doesn't mean it was Santa who emptied it. Some believe that who emptied the glass, is how those rumors about Santa got started. Here is the link to the Norad Tracker:

https://www.noradsanta.org/en/

 

Manhattan

On Christmas Eve there's an hour of Caroling from 5 - 6 pm at the Christmas tree in Washington Square Park North at 5th Avenue. Free & all are welcome.

There's a Yiddish Festival at the Jewish Museum of Jewish Heritage at Brookfield Place Downtown from December 24 - 29, 2022. Tickets range from $10 - $349 and may be purchased at https://www.yiddishnewyork.com

There are Hanukkah candle lightings nightly outside the Plaza Hotel at the southeast end of Central Park around 5.30 pm except Friday [3.30 pm] and Saturday [6.30 pm].

There's the annual Origami holiday exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History at 200 Central Park West [btwn 77th & 81st] on the Upper West Side.

There's a Kwanzaa event at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

The United Palace is hosting a Chanukah performance by an Israeli singer on Sunday starting at 8.30 pm in Washington Heights. Tickets $60 - $500.

There's a Midnight Mass on Christmas eve at St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue at 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan. Tickets required to attend at https://saintpatrickscathedral.org.

Most Manhattan Holiday Markets have either ended or end this weekend, excepting Bryant Park which ends in the new year. The following Manhattan holiday markets end on Christmas eve: Grand Central Station, Columbus Circle, Chelsea and Union Square. Only the Times Square holiday market ends Friday 12/23/22.

The photo below right was taken earlier this month in Midtown Manhattan.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Brooklyn

things to do this weekend in nycThe Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Museum continues through the holidays.

There are nightly Menorah lightings at Grand Army Plaza.

The Dyker Heights neighborhood holiday lights continue through the holidays.

The Brooklyn Flea & PopUp markets in Williamsburg end Christmas eve, while the Dumbo Market stay open through the holidays.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Bronx

On Christmas eve there's a Holiday Log lighting event between 1 - 2 pm at the Van Cortlandt House Museum at Broadway and West 246th Street in the southwest corner of Van Cortlandt Park.

Bronx Little Italy seafood markets are celebrating the feast of the seven fishes on Christmas eve Saturday in the Belmont neighborhood.

The BHBG Holiday Train Show & Glow exhibits run through the holidays.

The Bronx Zoo light show and related holiday events continue through the holidays.

There are nightly Menorah lightings at the Bell Tower Monument at West 239th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx. The lightings are at 4 pm, except at 3 pm Friday and 6.30 pm on Saturday.

There's a Kwanzaa Market on Friday, December 30 from 4 - 8 pm at St. Helena's Church at 1315 Olmstead Avenue downstairs in the gym in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. They suggest you wear African attire. Usually the Kwanzaa performance starts at 6 pm. Tickets $10.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

 

Queens

The Queens County Farm Holiday Market ends Christmas eve.

There's a 7.30 pm Christmas Eve Mass at Christ Lutheran Church 33-57 58th Street in Woodside.

There's a Kwanzaa theatrical production being performed at the Black Spectrum Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday 12/28 & 12/29 at 11 am and 7 pm respectively. At 177 Baisley Blvd in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens. $30 at www.blackspectrum.net.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Staten Island

There's a Winter Lantern Festival at 75 Richmond Terrace [the stadium] on Staten Island. The show runs through the holidays. Tickets are $18 / $29 at https://www.winterlanternfestival.com.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa.

Have a nice weekend.


Home for the Holidays - CoVid Update & the 'Tripledemic'

A Three Virus Healthcare Threat may be Good for TV Ratings & Headlines, but is it Real?

An NYC Tripledemic Update - Analysis of Reporting of RSV, Flu & CoVid in NYC

As We Return to En Vivo Socializing Over the Holidays - Things to be Aware of

December 19, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / CoVid in NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateNYC Weather. There's going to be some semi-serious precipitation [at present 2 plus inches] beginning Thursday afternoon around 4 pm, continuing until Friday about 4 pm. The temperatures are expected to rise to well above freezing, so it's almost certain to be rain in the city. As for the rest of the week, no rain Monday through Wednesday, and none is expected Saturday and Sunday, as folks head home for the holidays.

The temperature highs will be around 40 from Monday through Wednesday, rising into the low 50's on Thursday and possibly hit 60 on Friday, before descending into the mid 20's for the Christmas weekend, so Santa and his reindeer won't overheat as they make their appointed rounds. The temperature lows will be around 30 Monday through Wednesday, rising to 50 on Thursday, before falling to into the high teens on Friday, where the low will remain for the rest of the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday winds will be around 5 - 10 mph, rising to 15 - 20 on Thursday and then 25 - 30 on Friday, before falling back to 15 - 20 mph on Saturday and then 10 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 50% - 65% on Monday thru Wednesday, rising to 75% - 85% on Thursday, and then falling on Friday from 75% to 50% on Friday, before settling into the weekend at between 40% - 50% for a dry weekend.

 

I. The Tripledemic - RSV How Real & How Scary?

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateAs you likely heard, we are in the midst of experiencing a 'tripledemic'. The triple refers to CoVid, flu and RSV. RSV is short for respiratory syncytial virus, which is a virus that causes symptoms like those associated with a cold, but which can cause serious negative health issues for infants and the elderly. As usual, the TV news teleprompter readers and their writers appear to report whatever they're told, without actually thinking about the information they're conveying. And since they're in the business of attracting viewers' and readers' attention, they seem to have a tendency to sensationalize almost everything they report, including the weather.

So, let's start with RSV [respiratory syncytial virus], which to date, appears to have peaked the week ending November 12, 2022 [see chart]. According to weekly reporting by NYC Health, an NYC government website, there were three RSV related infant deaths since the peak this season, and they all occurred on the same week. As of the NYC Health report on December 17, 2022, there were nearly 30,000 cases in NYC so far this fall. So three infant deaths is a 0.01% RSV death rate in NYC. Given the low death rate, one has to wonder whether there were other complicating factors also at play?

RSV prevention is certainly worth paying attention to in order to protect your loved ones - especially infants, the elderly and immuno compromised. But that said, it rarely appears to be fatal, as you can see by the statistics noted above. RSV cases have been on the decline since the November 12th peak, but as in reporting on all health issues, things can change without notice. So stay tuned, knowing that what we're dealing with generally isn't lethal.

 

II. Resurgence of the Flu, in the Wake of the CoVid Pandemic

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateUnderstanding what's happening with the flu this season in NYS, also doesn't seem to be intelligently reported, as the TV news teleprompter readers and their script writers all seem to parrot one another with some alarming statistics. Alarming the public is good for ratings, so I reckon the broadcasters are doing what their bosses want them to do, but like the Boy Who Called Wolf, they're doing a disservice to the public and in the long term eventually a disservice to themselves, as the public is going to ignore them when another real health emergency arises.

 

Yes, the Flu is on the Rise & Dramatically so, Picking up from Where it Left Off in March 2020

Yes, the flu cases have risen very dramatically this year, especially when compared to the previous flu seasons, including prepandemic. But there's a story behind the numbers, which is that during the pandemic, the flu was overshadowed by CoVid because the flu has been around for about a century and for the most part the healthcare profession knows how to deal with it. As you can see from the chart, the green line - which is 2019 - 2020 flu season - was headed for a blockbuster year before CoVid stepped out onto the world stage, and CoVid has stolen the show up until now.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateWhat happened since CoVid began in earnest in early 2020, is that people started masking up, social distancing and self-isolating. All of these precautions not only mitigate the transmission of CoVid - but also the flu. In part this is why the 2020 - 2021 flu numbers were close to nothing, and the 2021 - 2022 numbers were also very much subdued. Now, as we are in the beginning of the 2022 - 2023 flu season, the flu appears to be picking up where it left off in early 2020, before CoVid hit.

 

Flu Vaccinations Rates in 2022 vs 2019 Are Higher for Adults, but Lower for Children

I found some threads of inquiry that are worth investigating, which I hope will be pursued by a better resourced news organization soon, or by us eventually.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateOn the NYC.gov Health website I noticed that the number of Emergency Department visits for Influenza Like Illnesses, which they shorthand to ILL, have risen dramatically from 2021 to 2022, as have admissions - BUT the Emergency Department Admissions vis a vis the visits as a percentage has dropped to about half in 2022, versus what they were in 2021. That said, the overall number of people admitted for flu increased fairly substantially. See charts.

On the CDC [Center for Disease Control] website I found that while flu vaccination rates for adults are generally up when comparing 2022 versus 2019; the flu vaccination rates for children are down significantly in 2022 versus 2019. So it's possible that people's kids that may have mild cases of the flu are transmitting it to the adults, who are then getting sick. See charts below.

Both of these trends should be examined more closely by the NYC Health and CDC agencies, but that said, being aware of them can also help you navigate your way around them.

 

Conspiracy Theories - Did Government Payments Influence / Favor CoVid vs Flu Reporting?

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateOn April, 27, 2020 USA Today published the results of an investigation into whether hospitals were paid more for CoVid patients on a ventillator than for flu patients on a ventillator. The higher payments for CoVid patients was true, but the study didn't find any 'gaming the system' on the part of hospitals. What's meant by this is that USA Today didn't find any falsification of data by hospitals in order to obtain the higher CoVid payment for the use of their ventillator. As you can see from the chart provided by KFF, which is a non-profit focused on providing healthcare information, about $31 billion in federal government spending was targeted at providing relief to healthcare providers treating patients with CoVid.

 

III. King CoVid is Back Again but ... CoVid's Reign is Waning

So, this brings us back to CoVid. CoVid has been the Talk of the Town for the past three years, but it's allure is fading.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateNew Cases / Hospitalizations / Deaths. In NYC we've been seeing about 300 new cases per day and on average there are about 4,000 people in NYC who have contracted and are living with CoVid. Also in NYC, as of today, about 130 patients are in the hospital with CoVid, and about a dozen folks died of it within the past day. About 14% of those tested at NYC clinics and hospitals tested positive for CoVid, but these numbers don't include the at home tests, so I don't know how meaningful a statistic the % testing positive is anymore.

All of this is more or less under control. We've moved from pandemic to endemic. So now let's see how CoVid plays out in the five boroughs of NYC geographically and ethnically. The following are a few stats that stick out to me.

By Age. About 99% of all adult New Yorkers received at least one vaccination dose. About 89% of NYC adults completed the original two shot vaccination program, while 48% have been boosted at least once. Kids under age 18 however do far less well vis a vis vaccinations. About 52% received at least one dose, only 45% actually completed the two shot regimen and only 16% have been boosted at least once.

By Boroughs. If you want to contract CoVid your best bet is eastern Brooklyn or southern Queens. But as you can see from the map, right now Queens looks pretty infected. But please bear in mind that this map can change dramatically - every ten days or so - so what you're seeing here is CoVid in NYC at a fleeting moment in time. See red map chart at the top of this report.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateEthnicity. Murdoch's Fox News / America's Disinformation Network Seems to be Dumbing Down White New Yorkers. Given George Washington, nearly 250 years ago, mandated that his troops be vaccinated, one would think that people today would recognize the value of protecting one's health via vaccinations. On many news programs, and for many measured categories, pundits use Whites as a sort of established national standard, when evaluating the progress being made by people in other demographic groups. Historically Whites have come out on top, because they've been members of the governing class, and the ethnic majority since this nation's founding.

But if a significant percentage of White New Yokers continue to rely on Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, Wall Street Journal and New York Post for their information, they'll soon enough lose their spot as a sort of aspirational ethnic national standard. The example I use to support these allegations today, is that White NYC Adults have the second lowest vaccination rate in the city of all ethnic groups, and White NYC children have the lowest CoVid vaccination rate in the city. Historically - pre-Murdoch - one would expect Whites to have the highest vaccination rates for both adults and children.

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid updateMurdoch media outlets have the predominant share of media in NYC, as Murdoch controls the Fox TV network, Fox 5, WNYW Channel 9, the Wall St Journal and the NY Post. Many of these Murdoch's outlets have done their audiences a disservice by not properly informing them vis a vis vaccines and vaccinations, in spite of the CoVid policies the company has implemented for itself [so Mr. Murdoch wants us to listen to his pundits as they say one thing & pay no attention to what Mr. Murdoch & Cos do, which is quite another thing].

 

Vaccinated People are Dying, but They're Generally Older and / or Infirm, & When Other Things are Equal, the Vaccinated Folks have a Far, Far Better Chance of Survival

Recently More Vaccinated Americans Died from CoVid than Unvaccinated Americans, BUT ... That's not true when you take into account age and other health variables, and whether or not they kept up with the vaccination boosters. In September 2021, 23% of those who died were vaccinated, that number rose to 42% in February 2022, and in August of 2022 it was 58%. BUT you need to know that at this point in the pandemic, most of the people dying of CoVid are over the age of 85 [see chart]. So while they are vaccinated, they are also very old and hence more susceptible to dying than those who are younger.

Vaccines Still Make a HUGE Difference. So the numbers, per a November 23, 2022 Washington Post report tells us, that: 1) unvaccinated Americans 6 months and older died at a rate 6x more those who got the first two doses of the vaccine, 2) unvaccinated Americans over age 5 died at an 8x rate than those who also received a booster, and 3) unvaccinated Americans age 50 and up were 12x times more likely to die than someone fully vaccinated with two boosters. So evaluate your risk and act accordingly. A shot in the arm seems a small price to pay for protection / insurance.

 

Protect the Elderly - CoVid Mitigation Advice is as Easy of 1-2-3-4-5

covid in nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island covid update1. Stay up to date on your CoVid vaccinations. As time goes on and this abates, perhaps we can back off this regimen and like flu, it will be something we'll vaccinate against as we age.

2. Wash your hands regularly before touching your face - most notably your mouth and nose.

3. Social distance as much as you can, and wear a mask when in an enclosed public space or a crowded outdoor space.

4. Avoid people who are ill / coughing and stay at home if it's you.

5. And test yourself before attending events with family and friends in enclosed spaces if you're uncertain whether or not you have contracted CoVid. And if you caught CoVid, test yourself after about five or six days, to make sure you no longer have it before going back out in public.

Editor's Note. There are a number of advertisements on this site that you can click to find a testing site near you, as well as ads that you can click which will tell you where you can seek CoVid treatment if you need it.

 

All Other - We Continue to Learn More About CoVid

There's a whole slew of additional data I dug up about some of the other impacts of catching CoVid vis a vis its long term impact on one's health ['long CoVid'] and possible impact on Alzheimers.

We're also learning more about the vaccines and their impact on people. So as not to scare you, about the only thing I have found so far in this regard, is that there may be a slight lengthening of women's menstrual cycles.

We'll be back with more, but probably next year.

Have a nice week.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

This is the Peak Party Holiday Weekend, Holiday Concerts, Holiday Shopping & Menorah Lightings as Hanukkah Begins

things to do this weekend in nycDecember 16, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs descend from the high 40's on Friday to about 40 on Saturday and then into the high 30's on Sunday. The temperature lows drop from the mid 30's on Friday, to about 30 on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity drops from between 70% and 80% on Friday, to about 60% on Saturday and then into the 50% range on Sunday. The winds will be 12 - 16 on Friday and then about 10 mph for the rest of the weekend. About a half inch of rain is due Friday, ending about 4 pm in the afternoon, and thereafter the weekend should be dry.

The photo at right was taken last week along 6th Avenue, near Bryant Park in Midtown. The city is again entertaining fair crowds of tourists and New Yorkers.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain detail

* On Friday, Saturday & Sunday, December 16, 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 7 pm Fri, 3 pm & 7 pm Sat, and 3 pm on Sun - performance of the show entitled Home for the Holidays. at Harlem School for the Arts at At 645 St. Nicholas Avenue in West Harlem north of the Upper West Side near Inwood and Washington Heights. Tickets $23 for all days except Sunday which is Free.

* On Saturday December 17th the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm. La Marqueta is located at 1590 Park Avenue between 112th and 115th Streets in East Harlem, underneath the Metro North tracks.

* Sunday, December 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown.

* LAST DAY _ On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 10 am - 12 noon a Hanukkah celebration at the 92nd Y at 1395 Lexington Avenue between 91st & 92nd Avenues on the Upper East Side. Free. https://www.92ny.org

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 11 am - 3.30 pm the Jewish Museum at 1109 5th Avenue at 92nd Street on the UES of Manhattan is hosting a modern Hanukkah exhibit with an interactive light show. Free w/ museum admission of $18 / $12 or $8.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 4 to 5.30 pm there's the Riverside Church Candelight Carol Service at Riverside Church at 490 Riverside Drive between 120th and 122nd Streets on the Upper West Side. The musical prelude begins at 3 pm. Then a candle light service with the full cultural theater developed over thousands of years by the Christian church. They describe it as thus, "... combines carillon, organ, harp, and all of the choirs of The Riverside Church and culminates in a ritual sharing of candlelight illuminating the Nave ...". Tickets are $25 / $35 / donation.

* On Sunday, December 18 - 26, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm nightly except on - Friday at 3.30 pm & Saturday at 8.30 pm there's the Grand Army Plaza Manhattan Menorah Lighting Events Hanukkah 2022. At Grand Army Plaza at 5th Avenue & 59th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

* On Monday, December 19, 2022 beginning at 8 pm Handel's Messiah in the Stern Auditorium on the Perlman Stage at Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. A classic Christmas choral performance at one of NYC's oldest and finest cultural venues. Tickets are $28 plus $9 Processing or $80 plus $9 processing at https://www.carnegiehall.org.

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.

Also it's worth noting the the Winter Solstice Concert at St. John the Divine, which was virtual last year, again doesn't appear to be returning live this year.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday & Saturday there will be a performance of classical music by the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra at St Ann's Holy Trinity Church at 157 Montague Street in Downtown Brooklyn beginning at 7 pm and 11 am respectively. Rsvp $40.

* On Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at Medgar Evers College at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights Brooklyn. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

* On Saturday there's a one day pop up market from 11 am - 6 pm at 203 37th Street in Industry City in the Greenwood Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn.

* On Saturday, beginning at 1 pm there's a trolley tour about history, art and nature being given at the Green - Wood Cemetery. You must rsvp and it costs $30.

* On Saturday from 4 - 5.30 the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts a Principles of Kwanzaa Workshop which is most suited for kids 8 - 14 and their parents. Free. At the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at 58 7th Avenue in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn NYC.

* On Saturday at 7 pm and on Sunday at 9 am, 12 noon and 3 pm, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir will perform a number of free holiday concerts.

* On Saturday there's a performance of the Nutcracker ballet beginning at 4 pm at Our Lady of Angels Parish at 337 74th Street in Bay Ridge Brooklyn. $20.

* Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Hip Hop Nutcracker.

* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a menorah lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park, also beginning at 4 pm.

* On Saturday & Sunday, the Fort Greene holiday pop up market will be open from 9 am - 4 pm along DeKalb Street between Washington Park and South Oxford Street near the farmers market and adjacent to Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn.

* On Saturday and Sunday there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Museum 200 Eastern Parkway in the Prospect Heights from 11 am - 7.30 pm on Saturday and closing at 5.30 pm Sunday.

* On Saturday and Sunday, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.

* Weekend Market. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets is open Saturday from 11 am - 6 pm and Sundays from noon - 6 pm closing Sunday 12/18. They have two locations - one at the Invisible Dog Art Center at 51 Bergen Street in Boerum Hill, and at Empire Stores at 55 Water Street in Dumbo.

* Weekend Market. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays at 70 North Street in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.

* All weekend there's also a holiday pop up market from 11 am - 7 pm on Friday & Saturday and closing at 6 pm on Sunday at 135 Kent Avenue at 6th Street in Williamsburg. The market features 35 vendors selling a variety of goods including fashion, beauty products, homewares, kids items and food. This market stays open next week and closes on Saturday 12/24/22.

* All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

things to do this weekend in nyc* On Sunday at 3.30 pm the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center hosts a performance of the Nutcracker ballet in LIC. Tickets are $21 at https://www.lpac.nyc.

* On Saturday there's a Governor's Victorian Ball at King Manor beginning from 4.30 - 7 pm. Tickets are $22 and include hors d'oeuvres and musical entertainment. They suggest you dress up in a costume of the age. Rsvp at www.kingmanor.org.

* On Saturday, there's a holiday caroling event from 7 - 10 pm at Cassidy's Ale House at 75-02 31st Avenue and 75th Street in Elmhurst / Jackson Heights. Free.

* Sunday, 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.

* On Sunday the Oratorio Society of Queens will perform a Christmas / Hanukkah concert beginning at the St. Kevin Roman Catholic Church at 45-21 194th Street in Flushing Queens. Tickets $45 / $30 / $10.

* On Sunday afternoon there's a holiday market in Rufus King Park in tandem with the Jamaica Performing Arts Center across the street.

* All weekend there is a holiday market / sale at the Culture Lab at 5-25 46th Avenue between Vernon Blvd and 5th Street in Long Island City Queens. Details for all markets in Queens can be found using the link below.

* All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.

* Between now and the New Year [except Mondays & Christmas Day], the Secret Theatre at 3802 61st Street in Woodside Queens is performing A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens about a rich, lonely, miserly, miserable old man. Admission $30 / $15.

* The photo above right was taken last weekend, as I was on a subway winding its way past the new 5 Pointz building in Long Island City in Queens.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday, December 16, 2022 from 5.30 - 7.30 pm, Santa will be visiting the Westchester Square Business Improvement District and there will be holiday treats, the Yuletide Singers and tree lighting. At Owen Dolan Park at 2551 Westchester Avenue at Tremont Avenue in the Westchester Square neighborhood of the Bronx.

* On Friday & Saturday, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm. Also on Thursday and Friday 12/22 & 12/23/22. $12. And on Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 3 - 4.30 pm - Sparkling Holiday Tea. $45.

* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 12.30 and 4.30 pm each day there will be performances of the classical ballet, The Nutcracker, by the Westchester Ballet Company in the Lovinger Theater which is at the north end of the campus at Lehman College at 250 Bedford Park Blvd West in Bedford Park in the Bronx. Tickets $31 - $63 https://www.lehmancenter.org/

* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 beginning at 2.30 pm there will be a Bronx Holiday Concert at St. Helenas Roman Catholic Church at 1315 Olmsted Avenue in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx. MASKS ARE REQUIRED. Tickets cost $20 / $15 / $5.

* On Sunday 12/18/22, there's a free classical holiday concert to be performed in the Lehman Concert Hall which is in the middle of the campus. Free.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 from 2 - 3 pm there will be a Chanukah concert to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah at the Bronx Jewish Center at 900 Pelham Parkway in the Pelham Parkway neighborhood of the Bronx NYC.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 6.30 pm there's a Menorah Lighting & Interfaith Holiday Music event, at Hawkins Park at 281 City Island Avenue [the main drag] on City Island neighborhood in the East Bronx. The lighting event will be followed by a reception at the City Island Art Gallery. This is organized by Temple Beth-El synogogue. All are welcome.

* On Sunday, December 18, 2022 beginning at 4 pm there will be a Bronx Hanukkah menorah lighting including live music, hot latkes, donuts, dreidels, and balloons at the Bell Tower Monument at West 239th Street and Henry Hudson Parkway in the Riverdale neighborhood in the Bronx. This event is organized by Chabad Bronx.

* All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

* On Friday, 12/16/22, the St. George Theatre is hosting the Staten Island Jazz Festival in St. George beginning at 7.30 pm. Tickets are $35 / VIP $125. https://stgeorgetheatre.com

* On Saturday, December 17, 2022 from 9 to 11 am there's a holiday breakfast with Santa for kids ages 3 - 11, including Santa, a holiday market, candyland and arts & crafts. At Colony Hall in the Sea View Farm Colony at 460 Brielle Avenue in the Manor Heights neighborhood of Staten Island. Organized by the Grace Foundation.

* On Saturday & Sunday, December 17 & 18, 2022 beginning at 5.30 pm Saturday and at 1 pm and 4 pm on Sunday there are performances of the classical ballet, the Nutcracker, by the Staten Island Ballet Dancers in Nicotra's Ballroom in the Hilton Garden Inn at 1100 South Avenue in the Bloomfield neighborhood on Staten Island. Tickets $85 SOLD OUT.

* On Sunday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday lighting event in Westerleigh Park in the Westerleigh neighborhood of Staten Island.

* On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free.

* On Sunday 12/18/22 from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn hosts its final weekend of holiday brunches with Santa.

* All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.

* For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Also we're still updating our New Years Eve parties / restaurants suggestions. Click this link to view. It should be mostly completed by Saturday, December 17th.

Enjoy.


* Picketing for the One Day Strike at the New York Times didn't Last a Day

How Not to do a Strike?

December 13, 2022 / NYC Business News / Midtown Manhattan / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz. 

Early last week I caught wind that there was an impending strike coming to the New York Times.  It was a snippet of a news story, but seemed important, given the prominence and influence of the Times. The Times is one of the two most prestigious papers in the nation along with the Washington Post, and one of a small number of such influential newspapers in the world.

 

NYT Strike on Thursday, December 8, 2022

nyt strike in nycSo, when I heard that the strike was actually happening on Thursday late afternoon, I dropped everything and headed down to the New York Times office building in Midtown Manhattan.  I had a hunch that the strikers would be disbanding - if not gone - by the time the TV news ended at 7 pm. 

It turns out I was right, as I arrived right around 7 pm and there wasn't a striker in sight.  I walked completely around the block, covering all street exits of the Times office building, including 8th Avenue and 40th and 41st Streets. The strikers had been there, just not for a very long time.

I asked several people coming out of the building about the strike.  Most of them shrugged me off, in a surly sort of manner.  One of them responded telling me that the strikers were there in the afternoon, marching along 8th Avenue.  But, as mentioned, there wasn't a striker in sight, and no trace that they had been there.  Unless they had slipped into Wolfgang's Steakhouse for drinks and dinner [see photo below].

The photo above right was taken outside of the Times office building in Midtown Manhattan around 7 pm on December 8, 2022 - the day of the one day strike. The picketing appears not to have lasted the day.

A reported 1,100 members of the News Guild of New York gave up a days pay, to stage the one day walk out on Thursday, December 8th.  The union represents 1,450 NYT employees, of which 1270 are newsroom personnel, according to the Wall St. Journal.  Based on the coverage I saw by other news organizations of the strike, far fewer folks picketed on Thursday, than the number of those who didn't show up for work and gave up the day of pay. My guesstimate of the number who picketed was in the low hundred(s).

 

Components of the Negotiations Between the NYT & News Guild Union

nyt strike in nycThe union, which won't negotiate with management in person, incited the strike to prod management into moving forward with the contract renewal negotiations on a contract that expired in March of 2021.  The negotiations included the fate of the pension vis a vis a 401K, medical benefits - specifically fertility insurance coverage, flex time for working in / out of the office, and of course pay. 

At present wage increases seem to be the sticking point.  According to PBS the Times is offering a 5.5% pay increase upon completion of the contract [providing for pay increases for the prior two years - 2021 & 2022], followed by 3% increases in 2023 and 2024.  The union wants 10% to cover the prior two years upon completion of the deal.  The 5.5% for the past two years is 2.75% per year, while inflation during the same period was 4.7% in 2021 and an estimated 7.5% for 2022.

Thus, the net of what the Times is offering in terms of pay - not the other components of which some appear to be additive - is a slight cut in pay when inflation is taken into consideration.

The photo at right was taken looking into Wolfgang's Steakhouse, while covering the NYT Strike outside, on December 8, 2022.

 

NYT & U.S. Media Industry Finances & Employment

The union argues that the Times is doing well, having generated over $220 million in profit last year [2021].  According to NY Magazine, the Times is also on track to make a profit of $300 million this year.

But that said, it's worth noting that of late, the media industry has continued shedding employees / jobs.  According to CNN, Gannett recently laid off 200 employees, PBS is looking to cut $10 million from its budget, and CNN itself laid off hundreds of staffers.  According to Axios there have been about 3,000 layoffs in the media industry in the past year, with 1,100 of those coming from news media, including Netflix and Warner Bros.

 

Strikers Negligible Impact on NYT Operations

During the one day strike, on Thursday, December 8th, the Times website was published as if nobody was missing.  The Times had employees prepare advance work, like they do for the weekend edition, while keeping a skeleton crew on board for breaking news. 

Some journalists compared the one day NYT strike this past week, to a prolonged 114 day strike staged in 1962 & 1963, musing how times had changed.  In the 1962 - 1963 strike 17,000 union members walked out on the seven NYC dailies.  At the end of the strike, four of the seven papers folded. But back then newspapers were [categorized as] manufacturing businesses, because they actually 'produced' the news by converting paper and ink into information that was delivered like milk, to customers' front doors.

 

NYT Ownership Still Controlled by the Sulzberger Family

It's worth noting that in August an activist investment firm, ValueAct, acquired 7% of the stock of the New York Times.  The Times is currently valued at $5.7 billion and today a stake that size would cost about $400 million.  The investment firm reportedly plans to push the NYT to more aggressively monetize its assets. 

Carlos Slim Helu acquired nearly 7% of the Times stock in 2008.  He then proceeded to lend the Times $250 million, which was repaid in 2011, three years ahead of schedule.  Helu increased his stake in the Times in 2015 to 17%.  In 2017 Helu pared back his holdings, by about a half million shares, out of a total of the 28 million shares he held.

The Sulzberger Family still retains control through a dual class share structure, whereby they control 70% of the board seats with only 20% of the stock.  The Sulzberger Family has controlled the New York Times since 1896.

 

Beware our Changing Times - Know Who Controls the Integrity of the Information you Consume

Lastly, a word of caution.  It's worth noting that investment firms and billionaires are rapidly gobbling up what's left of the newspaper world.  They also appear to be interested in using the media to push their own narratives onto the public.  Rupert Murdoch is an extreme example of someone who appears to use his mass media outlets to manipulate the public, but increasingly he's no longer the exception. The super wealthy - including Elon Musk, Donald Trump and tightly controlled investment firms - have acquired, founded or taken positions in most of the medium to large sized newspaper, broadcast and online outlets.  Unfortunately many of them appear to be using the outlets they control to push their own narratives, sometimes regardless of the facts. 

So, remember that the world is constantly changing.  And while the logos of the media outlets you rely upon may not change, the people behind the scenes who are running them, do.

Have a good one.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Holidays Tree Lightings, Holiday Caroling, Holiday Community Gatherings & Holiday Markets

things to do this weekend in nycDecember 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 40's, and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 30's, all weekend. About 1/3 inch of precipitation is expected on Sunday between the hours of noon and midnight. Winds will be about 7 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 50% - 65% on Saturday, to 70% - 80% on Sunday.

The photo at right was taken this week along 5th Avenue, which was fairly crowded Thursday evening with tourists and New Yorkers.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7 pm, Handel's Messiah at historic Trinity Church near Wall Street in Downtown Manhattan.

Saturday 12.10.22 morning beginning at 10 am at 39th and Broadway marks the start of the Santa Con. Santa Con is a day long bar hopping event with a couple dozen participating bars. Many folks dress up. Tickets are $16 at https://santacon.nyc/.

Also on Saturday, Alicia Keys will be performing at the United Palace in Washington Heights. The tickets are free and already sold out, but it may be a very, very long shot that some folks don't show.

The first three Saturdays in December [12/3, 10 & 17] the Harlem Night market will be running La Marqueta from 4 to 8 pm.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dances Patrelle returns with the Nutcracker at the Kaye Playhouse on the UES. The performances a delight to the senses. Tickets range from $65 - $75 at https://www.dancespatrelle.org/.

Also all weekend is the Holy Trinity Holiday market on the UES. It's quite unique in the merchandise for sale.

On Sunday the Tompkins Square tree lighting begins at 4 pm in the East Village. Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street in Midtown. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem.

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

The Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.

On Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm at the Old Stone House in Park Slope there's a holiday market.

On Saturday 12/11/ 22, the Kings Theatre in Flatbush is hosting performances of the Nutcracker beginning at 2 pm and 7 pm. They are hosting the Hip Hop Nutcracker on Sunday, 12/18/22 beginning at 2 pm and 6.30 pm.

On Saturdays and Sundays the first three weekends in December, the Dumbo Improvement District is hosting a holiday flea market from 10 am - 5 pm at the Dumbo Triangle at Pearl Street. The Brooklyn Flea is open weekends at 80 Pearl Street.

On Sunday, the Greenpointers Holiday Market runs from 6.30 - 8.30 pm at the Greenpoint Loft. Also on both Saturdays and Sundays in December before Christmas is the Fort Greene holiday market from 10 am - 4 pm. It's located next to the Farmers market you can use search on this site to find it.

On Sunday there's a pop up record sale in Gowanus Gardens in Brooklyn.

Weekend Markets. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open Saturdays (11 am - 6) and Sundays (noon - 6 pm) closing the weekend before [12/18] the Christmas weekend. Artists and Fleas hosts their Regeneration holiday market on Saturdays and Sundays in Williamsburg through the December weekends leading up to Christmas.

All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

Next Wednesday 12/14/22 from 4 - 6 pm there's a tree lighting at the Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. The Menorah Lighting at the same location is on the following Sunday 12/18/22, also beginning at 4 pm.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Queens - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

On Friday from 7 - 9 pm there's the St. Nicholas Illumination done by Sunnyside Reformed and Queen of Angels churches beginning from 48th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside.

On Friday and Saturday 12/9 & 12/10 the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center opens for two nights only in LIC. Tickets are $20 at https://www.lpac.nyc.

things to do this weekend in nycOn Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm in Astoria, along Steinway Street between 31st and 38th Streets, Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus will be giving out gifts while supplies last and there will holiday entertainment and displays.

On Saturday, in St. Albans, from 12 noon to 6 pm there's a Winter Festival at the Black Spectrum Theatre.

On Saturday there's a wreath making workshop from 1 - 4 pm at the Queens Botanical Garden. Tickets are $35 / $30 & include materials.

Also on Saturday there's a murder mystery dinner at King Manor beginning at 5.30 pm. Tickets are $71 at www.kingmanor.org and include hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

On Saturday, from 11.30 am - 3.30 pm, Flushing Town Hall is hosting a fundraiser holiday party. Tickets are $100 / $150.

Also on Saturday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Merrick Academy Charter School at 136-25 218th Street in Springfield Queens. The market opens at 5.30 pm and the concert begins at 7 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

On Sunday the Holiday Historic House Tours return to Flushing from 1 - 5 pm. It's an opportunity to see eight historic houses dating from colonial times to the 1950's [Louis Armstrong's House] for one low fee. A bus runs between the houses that you can use for free of $15 / $20.

On Sunday from noon to 7 pm the historic Grace Episcopal Church will host a Christmas Church Bazaar. Free admittance.

Santa is visiting the NY Irish Center at 1040 Jackson Avenue in LIC on Sunday, from 2 to 4 pm. Tickets are $7 at https://www.newyorkirishcenter.org. On Tuesday, 12/13 from 7 - 10 pm they are hosting a showcase of performances and a holiday celebration. Tickets $15.

This Sunday from noon to 5 pm, Katch Astoria will also be hosting a Queens Craft Brigade holiday market.

Sundays, 12/11 & 12/18 from noon to 6 pm the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden hosts a holiday market in Astoria.

Also on Sunday the Queens Symphony Orchestra is performing its holiday concert at the LeFrak Concert Hall from 3 - 5 pm. Tickets are $40 - $95, but they sold out.

All weekend there are a couple of holiday markets / sales - one at Culture Lab and the other at Brickhouse Ceramics in Long Island City. Details for both and all other markets in Queens can be found using the link below.

All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. And the Queens County Farm runs a holiday market daily from 10 am - 5 pm.

Next Tuesday beginning at 5 pm there's a holiday celebration at the LIC Bar organized by the Chocolate Factory and the LIC the Long Island City Partnership. There's also a performance at the NY Irish Center [see details above]. Next Wednesday, 12/14/22 beginning at 7.30 pm the Jackson Heights Orchestra lights up their holiday concert at St. Mark's Church. On Thursday, 12/15/22, in Jackson Heights at the Langston Hughes Library & Cultural Center there will be an Upcycled Gifts event from 6 - 7.30 pm.

The photo at right was taken last weekend at the Queen of Angels Crafts and Arts Fair featuring and organized by Sunnyside Artists.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood.

On Friday & Saturday 12/9 & 12/10, the Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting candelight tours of the mansion from 5 - 7 pm.

POSSIBLY AN ERROR ON THEIR WEBSITE OR CANCELLED _ On Saturday the Bronx Museum was hosting a Family day from 1 - 4 pm, but it's been taken off the calendar so it may have been cancelled.

On Sunday, the Church of the Mediator at 260 West 231st Street in Kingsbridge is hosting a holiday concert featuring the Christmas classics beginning at 3 pm, to be followed by a reception. Tickets are $25 / $10.

Also on Sunday there's a Caribbean holiday market followed by a concert at the Harry S. Truman High School at 750 Baychester Avenue in Coop City in the Bronx. The market opens at 4.30 pm and the concert begins at 6.30 pm. Tickets are $30 / $25 at https://www.braataproductions.org/.

On Sunday at Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center there's a holiday concert from 2 - 3 pm featuring Lara Downes in Riverdale. Tickets are $30 / $16 / $14 at https://www.wavehill.org.

All Weekend - The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island - Use Links at end of each Boro to obtain details

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the St. George Theatre is hosting its 19th Annual Christmas Show which features about 100 Staten Island performers. Tickets are $10 / $20 / $30 / $40 & $50. Funds raised go to help the theater.

On Saturday morning Empire Outlets is doing a Breakfast with Santa from 10 - 11 am in St. George.

On Saturday there's a holiday market organized by Maker Radio in Stapleton from 11 am - 4 pm.

On Saturday there's a holiday event at the Alice Austen House in Shore Acres from 12 noon - 3 pm. The event allows visitors to have their photo taken and aura read for $20 / $30.

On Saturday from 3 - 6 pm there's a holiday tree lighting / Santa Visit event in Tappan Park in Stapleton.

On Saturday, the William H. Pouch Scout Camp tree lighting event begins at 6 pm. Admission is $5.

On Saturday and Sunday from 5.30 - 7.30 pm Historic Richmond Town is giving Candelight Tours. Tickets are $25 / $23 and kid age five and under are free. Prior to the tours on both days, Historic Richmond Town is hosting a crafts making event at many of the local shops, whereby you can watch how things were made a century and a half ago, and then buy them. Tickets are $12 / $10. On Saturday Only at 5 pm there's a tree lighting ceremony at 5 pm.

On Sunday from 11 am - 3 pm, the Old Bermuda Inn continues its holiday brunches with Santa.

All Weekend - There's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor from 5 pm - 11.45 pm. The Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Enjoy.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are Going Full Tilt This Week with Tree Lightings, Caroling, Community Gatherings and Holiday Markets

things to do this weekend in nycDecember 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 40's on Friday, the high 50's on Saturday and descending back to the low 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday, descending to the low 30's on Saturday and Sunday. The humidity will climb from 50% to 60% on Friday, to 55% to 77% on Saturday before descending back to 50% to 60% on Sunday. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Saturday and then falling to 5 mph on Sunday. About a quarter inch of rain is expected between 7 am and 1 pm on Saturday, otherwise it's a dry weekend.

The photo at right was taken last week. What strikes me about this photo, and other scenes in the city like it, is the lingering foliage and color we're still seeing at this late date in the season.

This weekend we could top 60 degrees, which as you know, is unseasonably warm. Even the birds and insects are confused by this weather. For example at a Thanksgiving Day dinner in Connecticut I noticed there were insects hovering around the table, and in Queens - just yesterday - I walked past a bevy of trees which were alive with the noise of what seemed an entire flock of tweeting birds. It was fairly cold yesterday, so I thought perhaps their beaks were chattering, like we humans do when it's very cold.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Manhattan - Open Streets in Midtown

All Weekend the holiday shops at Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Union Square Park, the Grand Bazaar on the UWS, the Chelsea Market, and the World Trade Center are all open - not just this weekend but through to Christmas. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

Unique markets open only this weekend include one at the Indian Museum, and one - La Marqueta - only on Saturday in Harlem. On Sunday 12/4/22 there's an ornament making workshop at the Ukrainian Museum where they're encouraging folks to do some holiday shopping at the museum gift shop as they aren't hosting a bazaar this year. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday markets.

On Saturday Hudson Park is hosting its tree lighting. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

Note that on Sundays, December 4, 11 & 18, 2022 between 12 noon and 6 pm, Fifth Avenue will be closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians from 48th to 57th Street. On Sunday from 10 am - 5.30 pm for the price of an MTA fare, passengers may ride the MTA vintage / nostalgia 1930s, 1940's, 1950's and 1960's train cars from between Chambers Street in the West Village and West 137th Street in Harlem. Brick Presbyterian Church has its Park Avenue tree lighting on Sunday, as does Carl Schurz Park which hosts its tree lighting Sunday. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

All Weekend the Luminaires Light Installation at Brookfield Place will be on. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit. ORIGAMI at the American Museum of Natural History on the UWS. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

Next Wednesday both Madison Square Park and Washington Square Park have their tree lightings. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Manhattan holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Manhattan, click these links - Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Brooklyn

On Friday night, December 2, 2022 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music aka BAM, community activist Angela Davis will speak and there's also a Slavic Soul party. The Lott House is also hosting a Sinterklaus tree lighting event with cocoa, cookies & music. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

On Saturday there's a St Nicholas celebration at The Vande Ende Onderdonk House which is an historic Dutch colonial house celebrates. Also the Wyckoff Museum is hosting an outdoor St Nicholas event with St Nick arriving on a live horse around 2.30 pm.

On Saturday there's a pop up market at Fort Greene Park. On Saturday and Sunday, December 3 & 4, 2022 there's a holiday market at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and a couple of holiday flea markets - one in Williamsburg and the other in Dumbo. The FAD [Fashion / Art / Design] markets also open this weekend and remain open weekends, closing prior to the Christmas weekend. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday markets.

On Sunday there's a Christmas tree lighting in Fort Greene Park. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

All Weekend - Holiday lights in Dyker Heights and the Lightscape Show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Brooklyn holiday events.

Lastly, it's worth noting that the Fort Hamilton holiday celebration and market is next Friday, December 9th. So if you're planning to go you need to register to gain access to the army base.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Brooklyn, click these links - Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in Queens

On Friday, December 2nd in Jackson Heights beginning at 5 pm there's a tree lighting organized by the 82nd Street Partnership. There's also a tree lighting at Harpell's Pharmacy in Bayside. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

On Saturday, December 3rd there's a holiday party in Astoria Park in the afternoon organized by CALDC. Also on Saturday in Astoria, along Steinway Street, there will be Christmas carolers making their way up and down the street from late morning through most of the afternoon. In Jackson Heights the JH Beautification Group is hosting its annual tree lighting and holiday celebration beginning at 4 pm. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

Also on Saturday, December 3rd in the afternoon, there are a couple of holiday art fairs in LIC hosted by artists. In Sunnyside, there's an arts and crafts fair all day long. And in Bayside there are also a couple of holiday fairs which run in the morning and most of the afternoon, which are hosted by churches. Details to all of these and other markets may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday markets.

On both Saturday and Sunday in Flushing there will be a tree lighting combined with arts and crafts projects at the Queens Botanical Garden. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

All Weekend. The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway. The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

There are also a number of events that happen next week, including the premiere of a new play about the pandemic at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in LIC. Details to all of these and other events may be found using the link below entitled Queens holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Queens, click these links - Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Queens Holiday Markets NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do in the Bronx

All Weekend - The Wave Hill Garden and Cultural Center is hosting wreath making workshops in Riverdale. The Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and NY Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show also run all weekend. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

On Saturday 12/3/22 there's a Salsa Dance Party at the Bronx Museum. There's also a holiday event at the Bronx Terminal Market in the Concourse neighborhood. And a late afternoon / early evening holiday tree lighting on Arthur Avenue in the Little Italy neighborhood of the Bronx. The Bartow Pell Mansion is hosting its annual holiday party and fundraiser. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

On Sunday 12/4/22, there's a free classical holiday concert at Lehman College in Bedford Park. Also on Sunday the Throggs Neck Merchants Assocation hosts its annual holiday celebration at the Bronx Library at the DeRosa O'Boyle Triangle in the Throgs Neck neighborhood of the Bronx. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

Next Thursday, 12/8/22 there's a holiday celebration with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson at Lou Gehrig Plaza at Borough Hall at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse in the Mott Haven / Concourse neighborhoods of the Bronx. That same evening there will be another holiday lights celebration at the Mosholu Parkway Lawn in Norwood neighborhood of the Bronx.

And Next Friday the Fordham BID hosts its holiday celebration in Bryan Park in the Fordham neighborhood. Also next Friday the Bartow Pell Mansion begins hosting candelight tours of the mansion. Details to all of these and other holiday markets and holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Bronx holiday markets and events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in the Bronx, click this link Bronx Holiday Markets & Bronx Holiday Events NYC.

 

Holiday Things To Do on Staten Island

All Weekend there's a Winter Wonderland at Snug Harbor. And the Staten Island Mall is hosting photo sessions with Santa. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

On Saturday there's a holiday market at Snug Harbor in Randall Manor. A holiday market at Immanuel Union Church in Westerleigh. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

There's also a Yule Jog at the Conference House in Tottenville and the Conference House Holiday Tours have begun. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

On Saturday & Sunday Empire Outlet tree lighting and holiday market in St. George. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

On Sunday, the Grand Illumination and outdoor holiday market at the Conference House in Tottenville. Details to all of these and other holiday markets may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday markets.

On Sunday the Old Bermuda Inn begins its first round of holiday brunches with Santa.

Next Monday and Tuesday the Historic Old Bermuda Inn with John Vincent Scalia Funeral Home hosts their annual Memorial Tree Lighting. Next Tuesday, 12/6/22 Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella will host a tree lighting at Borough Hall in St. George. Next Wednesday 12/7/22 there's a holiday celebration in Midland Beach organized by the Richmond Road Merchants Association. Details to all of these and other holiday events may be found using the link below entitled Staten Island holiday events.

For further details on these holiday events or to see what holiday markets are happening in Staten Island, click these links - Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC and Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Enjoy.



NYC Holiday Events in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & Staten Island

Christmas Tree Lightings, Hanukkah Menorah Lightings, Kwanzaa Candle Lightings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx & on Staten Island NYC

thanksgiving day shops and restaurants in manhattan thanksgiving day restaurants gourmet shops manhattan nycDecember 1, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Holiday Events in All Five Boroughs of NYC

This section is intended to provide a compendium of a multitude of mostly free holiday communal events in all five boroughs of NYC. This is not an exhaustive list.

The photo at right was taken in the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, which goes all out for the holidays.

For indoor events the NYC COVID protocols remain in effect. Rsvp is recommended.

Click here for Bronx holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Click here for Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Click here for Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Click here for Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Click here for Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Enjoy.

 


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays are About to go Full Tilt in NYC, Warming up a bit this Weekend, Before going Full Tilt Next Week

queens world film festivalNovember 25, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low to mid 50's all weekend, while the temperature lows will rise from around 40 on Friday and Saturday, to 50 on Sunday. The humidity drops from 60% - 70% on Friday, to 50% - 60% on Saturday, and then rises again to 70% - 80% on Sunday. The winds will be around 15 mph Friday, falling to 10 mph on Saturday and Sunday. There's a slight chance of a slight amount of rain before noon Friday, none on Saturday and then about a half to two thirds inch of rain on Sunday between 11 am and 9 pm.

The photo at right was taken at a Thanksgiving dinner I attended yesterday. I ate so much of the dinner, that I didn't dare have any dessert for fear of exploding ... a similar memory of which, I also have as a child.

Holiday Markets in all 5 Boroughs of NYC

We've previously completed a solid first pass of the holiday markets planned this November, and we'll soon be updating for those coming in December. Use the following links to view: 1) Bronx Holiday Markets NYC, 2) Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC, 3) Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC, 4) Queens Holiday Markets NYC, and 5) Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC.

Holiday Events NYC: Tree, Menorah & Candle Lightings for Christmas, Hanukkah & Kwanzaa

We're also currently working on the events planned for this holiday season and we should have a solid first pass done sometime this weekend. Use the following links to view: 1) Bronx holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 2) Brooklyn holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 3) Manhattan holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, 4) Queens holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC, and 5) Staten Island holiday events, Christmas tree lightings, Hanukkah menorah lightings, Kwanzaa candle lightings NYC.

Enjoy.


Thanksgiving - America's Communal Holiday

The Pilgrims Legacy: Love, Sharing & Community Empowerment

thanksgiving day senitments nyc what thanksgiving day means to meNovember 22, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Thanksgiving Holidays in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A couple of years ago, I happened upon a childhood book of fables and fairytales that I had saved since I was a first grader. I was young enough to still like fairytales and old enough to be learning and loving to read.

The book, A Gateway to Storyland, by Platt & Munk Co, was given to me around the holidays, and the book still gives me a warm, loved feeling when I periodically open it to browse through the fairytales and fables containing little nuggets of age old wisdom about how to conduct onesself [see photo at right / the book is still in print]. I read it numerous times immediately upon receiving it, as the illustrations fed my imagination, and lessons embedded in the words resonated with timeless sagacity.

 

Unselfish Parental Love Manifested by Empowering Progeny

Love comes in many forms, but the purest form is unselfish love. The love of truly giving something with no thought of anything in return. That love is oftentimes given intergenerationally - from grandparents to parents to children.

Perhaps the greatest gifts are those that cost us nothing but our time. Like the gift of teaching someone something that they will be able to put to good use throughout their lives. Parents do this all the time, when they help their children develop skills, and impart some knowledge and learning ... just as my parents did many years ago, by giving me a well illustrated fairytale book to encourage my interest in reading, while sharing the time tested insights of the ages, handed down through storytelling.

 

I. A Brief Thanksgiving History

The Pilgrims Shared Communal Resources to Actualize a Dream

At Thanksgiving time we commemorate one of America's first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600's]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the 'old country'. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620. Think of it. It took about a month and a half to travel a distance we can now traverse in about five hours.

 

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their gratitude to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America ... or did it?


NYC Holiday Markets in All Five Boros New York 2022

The Holiday Markets Seem Back to Normal This Year

November 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nycNYC Holiday Markets Forecast. I think the holiday markets should be good this year, as they are stocked with locally hand crafted goods as well as other items from around the world.

Here are links to some holiday markets planned around the five boroughs between now and the end of the year. We will mostly finish updating these pages by the end of this weekend 11/20/22, allowing for a few late announcements. And we will continue updating as more information becomes available between now and the end of the year.

Bronx Holiday Markets NYC

Brooklyn Holiday Markets NYC

Manhattan Holiday Markets NYC

Queens Holiday Markets NYC

Staten Island Holiday Markets NYC

Enjoy.



Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Announcement, Veterans Day Weekend, Art & Performance; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

queens world film festivalNovember 11, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's Friday, dropping to the mid 50's Saturday and down to the mid 40's Sunday. The temperature lows will plummet from the low 50's Friday, to the low 330's Saturday and into the high 20's on Sunday. The humidity will fall from 90% Friday, to 80% Saturday, to 65% 80% on Sunday. Winds will be a blustery 7 - 15 mph all weekend. Rain is in the forecast, with about a quarter inch to fall tonight, and then 1/10th inch of rain early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday - so it shouldn't stop you from going out.

 

Announcement - We're Now on a New Content Management System

It's good news. We had been running on the same platform since 2007 and it was time to upgrade : )

We'll have more to say about this in the coming weeks.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

The Veterans Day Parade is today in Midtown from 12.30 pm to 3.30 pm. They march along 5th Avenue from 26th to 45th Street.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Saturdays & Sundays, November 12, 13, 19, 20, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm on Saturdays and at 2.30 pm on Sundays. The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Gingerbread Players at St. Luke's Church at 85 Greenway in Forest Hills. Tickets are $15 / $12. For details see https://www.gingerbreadplayers.org/

 

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx NYC

Checking.

 

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 10.30 - 11.30 am - There's a day time Veterans Day Remembrance event held at Wagner College at 1 Campus Road in Grymes Hill. The event is described as follows: "... Alumni and friends are invited to join together on campus as we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country with the 12th annual Wagner College Veteran's Day Remembrance, hosted by the brothers of Delta Nu and the Wagner College Alumni Association ... The Delta Nu War Memorial located outside the Spiro Sports Center reminds us of the great sacrifice our veterans have made for this country and the global community. Light refreshments will be served in the Spiro Sports Center Ticket Lobby following the memorial..."

Friday, November 11, 2022 beginning at 9.11 am - Veterans' Day Golf Classic returns. The event begins with breakfast at 9.11 am, followed by a scramble / tee off that begins at 10.30 am at three Staten Island golf courses including Silver Lake, La Tourette and Richmond County. The golfing is followed by dinner at Nicotra's Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn. Fees are $225 for everything, or $85 for dinner & cocktails, or $100 for golfing only. Organized by the Tunnel to Towers org at https://t2t.org.

 

Things To Do Next Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

Saturday, November 12, 2022 - Renegade Craft Fair. Details coming later today, Friday 11/11/22.

 

Farmers Markets / Street Fairs. And many of the seasonal farmers markets reopened this month, so you use these links to find one in your neighborhood - Bronx Farmers Markets NYC, Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC, Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC, Queens Farmers Markets NYC, Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC. And the weekend street fairs are updated weekly - Manhattan street fairs, Queens street fairs, Brooklyn street fairs, Bronx street fairs, Staten Island street fairs.

Have a nice weekend.


NYS Politics & Election Day November 2022

NYS Elections are November 8th, Today

nyc poll site locator queens poll site locator manhattan polls locations

November 8, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The NYS primary election is today, Tuesday November 8th.  On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state level positions such as Attorney General, State Assembly, State Senators and Ballot measures.

Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood.  Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave and many of our ancestors died for our right to vote, as the Ukrainians appear to be doing now.  So be brave, and be careful in choosing who you vote to represent you. There's still time to do some researchs on candidates on the web.  

Early Voting Ended Sunday, November 6, 2022

Early voting began on Saturday, October 29 and runs through Sunday,November 6th, 2022. Today is election day, when you can find your poll site by clicking on the graphic above. For those who wish to find an early voting poll site use this link, which not only shows the sites, but also the wait times.

Early Voting NYC

The New York City election is Tuesday November 8th and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

NYC Marathon Weekend, Veterans Day Commemorations Warm Ups, Upcoming Play; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

queens world film festivalNovember 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 70's all weekend, while the low will be in the mid 60's all weekend. No rain is in the forecast, but it will be a very humid weekend for this time of year ranging from 70% to 85% all weekend. Winds will be about 10 mph all weekend.

The photo at right was taken at the Queens World Film Festival in a prior year. The festival returned to the Museum of the Moving Image this week and runs through the weekend.

The graphic below right shows the course of the NYC Marathon this Sunday.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in All 5 Boros of NYC

  • queens world film festival* Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 2 am - Daylight Savings Time. This may be the last year where we will 'fall back' by moving our clocks back one hour starting at 2 am Sunday or before going to bed Saturday night.
  • * Sunday, November 6, 2022 from 8 am - 5 pm - The NYC Marathon runners begin congregating at Fort Wadsworth at the foot of the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge on Staten Island beginning at 7 am. The Professional Wheelchairs take off at 8 am, the Handcyclists at 8.22 am, the Professional Women at 8.40 am, and the Professional Men at 9.05 am, with the last wave at 11.40 am. Staten Island is the starting poinit, while Brooklyn is the first leg, the Queens segment of the course is around the midpoint before heading into Manhattan, then north to the Bronx over the Willis Avenue Bridge, where they do a U turn by heading west over the Madison Avenue Bridge before turning south into Manhattan and Central Park. Use the link to the front page below to view a map of the Marathon course for 2022.
    • So you can do some math to figure out when to greet them in your borough. The fastest men complete the race in a bit more than two hours, while the average is 4.40 [hours.minutes]. The midpoint is in Queens. The biggest wave of runners travel through Queens around 11 am, so you can figure out the rest. The weather is expected to be pleasant. Enjoy.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Wednesday thru Sunday, November 2 - 6, 2022 at various times - The Baltic Film Festival. At Scandinavia House at 58 Park Avenue in Midtown just south of Grand Central Station. Tickets are $125 to see all films. For details see - https://www.scandinaviahouse.org.

Thursday - Sunday, November 3 - 6, 2022 - Washington Heights Jazz Festival. For details see https://jazzwahi.com.

Friday, November 4, 2022 from 5.30 - 9 pm - The Parade of Nations in Central Park will be followed by fireworks tonight as part of the NYC Marathon Festivities. This will be free and viewable from the finish line in Central Park which is located in the southwest corner of the park.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Tuesday - Sunday, November 1 - 6, 2022 at various times - Queens World Film Festival. At multiple locations including The Local at 13-02 44th Avenue in LIC, the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, and opening night was at Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park just south of the Unisphere. Tickets are $15 - $17.50 at https://queensworldfilmfestival.org.

COMING NEXT WEEK _ Saturdays & Sundays, November 12, 13, 19, 20, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm on Saturdays and at 2.30 pm on Sundays. The Merry Wives of Windsor by the Gingerbread Players at St. Luke's Church at 85 Greenway in Forest Hills. Tickets are $15 / $12. For details see https://www.gingerbreadplayers.org/

 

Things To Do This Weekend in the Bronx

Sunday, November 6, 2022 from 12 noon - 1 pm - Veterans Day Memorial Event.A procession and flag raising ceremony with remarks. Color guard units from SUNY Maritime College will participate. Organized by the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance and Community Board 8 in collaboration with the NYC Parks Department. It's to be held in Memorial Grove which is just north of the southwest corner of the park. For details see - https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/VanCortlandtPark/events/2022/11/06/veterans-day-ceremony

 

Things To Do This Weekend on Staten Island NYC

Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 10.30 - 11.30 am - There's a day time Veterans Day Remembrance event held at Wagner College at 1 Campus Road in Grymes Hill. The event is described as follows: "... Alumni and friends are invited to join together on campus as we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country with the 12th annual Wagner College Veteran's Day Remembrance, hosted by the brothers of Delta Nu and the Wagner College Alumni Association ... The Delta Nu War Memorial located outside the Spiro Sports Center reminds us of the great sacrifice our veterans have made for this country and the global community. Light refreshments will be served in the Spiro Sports Center Ticket Lobby following the memorial..."

Friday, November 11, 2022 beginning at 9.11 am - Veterans' Day Golf Classic returns. The event begins with breakfast at 9.11 am, followed by a scramble / tee off that begins at 10.30 am at three Staten Island golf courses including Silver Lake, La Tourette and Richmond County. The golfing is followed by dinner at Nicotra's Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn. Fees are $225 for everything, or $85 for dinner & cocktails, or $100 for golfing only. Organized by the Tunnel to Towers org at https://t2t.org.

 

Things To Do Next Weekend in Brooklyn NYC

COMING NEXT WEEK. Saturday, November 12, 2022 - Renegade Craft Fair. Details coming next Friday 11/11/22.

 

Farmers Markets / Street Fairs. And many of the seasonal farmers markets reopened this month, so you use these links to find one in your neighborhood - Bronx Farmers Markets NYC, Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC, Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC, Queens Farmers Markets NYC, Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC. And the weekend street fairs are updated weekly - Manhattan street fairs, Queens street fairs, Brooklyn street fairs, Bronx street fairs, Staten Island street fairs.

Have a happy Marathon Weekend.


NYC Gourmet Shops & Thanksgiving Restaurants in NYC

Shops and Restaurants for Preparing or Eating Thanksgiving Day Dinner in NYC, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island

thanksgiving day shops and restaurants in manhattan thanksgiving day restaurants gourmet shops manhattan nycNovember 2, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The origins of Thanksgiving Day in the United States began with one of America’s first settlements, founded by the risk-taking, resource-pooling, hardworking, spiritual community of Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were early English settlers who arrived on American shores in the early 17th century [1600’s]. They came here because they wanted a measure of freedom and self-determination that they were forbidden in Europe or what was called the ‘old country’. The Pilgrims wanted to practice their faith, unencumbered, in a way that differed from the established Church of England. They pooled their money to obtain a ship, the Mayflower, to cross the Atlantic in mid September of 1620, landing on America's shores at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on November 9, 1620.

The Pilgrims Receive Help from the Native People of a Strange Land

Per Wikipedia, the Piligrims survived a hard winter in 1621 with the help of the Wampanoag, an American Indian tribe. The Pilgrims were the immigrants, and the first Americans, the Indian natives, welcomed them. The Wampanaog taught the Pilgrims how to catch eels, and how to grow and harvest corn. Thus the Pilgrims ended 1621 with a good harvest which they celebrated and shared with their new friends, expressing their thanks to a higher power, aka God, for the success of their endeavors.

Thus it was that the first Thanksgiving celebration happened in America. There's some dispute to this account, which we'll address in a future post, near Thanksgiving Day.

 

Thanksgiving Gourmet Food Stores & Restaurants Open on Thanksgiving Day in NYC

This section is intended to provide a few suggestions for Thanksgiving Day food shopping and a number of restaurants that are open Thanksgiving Day in NYC. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list as there are many other fine NYC shops and restaurants, but for the moment this is what we have to offer.

For shops and restaurants the NYC COVID protocols remain in effect. Rsvp is recommended.

Click here for Thanksgiving Day gourmet specialty food shops, grocery stores and restaurants in Manhattan NYC.

Click here for Thanksgiving Day gourmet food specialty shops, grocery stores, restaurants and communal events in Queens NYC.

Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet specialty food shops and grocery stores in Brooklyn NYC .

Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet food shops and grocery stores in the Bronx NYC.

Click here for Thanksgiving Day restaurants, gourmet specialty food shops and grocery stores on Staten Island NYC.

Enjoy.


Things To Do in NYC in October - Weekend Events

Things To Do in NYC Each Weekend in October

October 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of October in all five boroughs of New York City.

What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of October.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

Halloween Weekend in All 5 Boroughs; some outdoor Farmers Markets & Street Fairs still open

things to do nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nyc eventsOctober 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 60's all weekend, while the temperature lows will be in the low 40's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 50's by Sunday. Winds will be 3 - 8 mph all weekend. Humidity will be 45% - 65% on Friday and Saturday, rising to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast this weekend.

The photo at right was taken over a decade ago in Queens. I recently came across it while doing some website content management work. The photo captures a moment in time of a young woman with an alluring gaze.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Your best bet is to click the link above for the full Manhattan Halloween magilla.

On Friday night the Whitney Museum in the Village is throwing a 'Hallowteen' event, while there's a Halloween party at the Museum of the City of New York on the UES and the McKittrick Hotel is throwing a big Halloween Party down in Chelsea. Stage 48 in Midtown is throwing a Monster Ball on Friday and a Halloween Parade After Party on Monday. There's also an old silent movie being shown, accompanied by a live organist, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The Merchants House Museum in the East Village is hosting haunted tours in the evening on Friday and Saturday.

On Saturday the Meatpacking BID is hosting a number of family friendly Halloween events and programs in the West Village, while E's Bar is throwing a party on the UWS. On Saturday and Sunday, Lincoln Center is hosting an Open House and Family Day. Capitale in SoHo is hosting a big Halloween bash on Saturday.

On Sunday the Irish Arts Center in West Midtown is throwing a kids event midday. The Slate Bar, Bar 13 and Webster Hall all have Halloween events on both Saturday and Monday. Also on Sunday in the Flatiron District there's a Halloween themed history tour.

And the NYC Halloween Day Parade is on Monday.


What have the Democrats & the Biden Administration Accomplished?

Does Biden have Washington Working Again, in Spite of Narrow Democratic Majorities in Both the Senate & House? Why are Democrats Not Running on Their Collective Record?

things to do nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nyc eventsOctober 26, 2022 / Local Government & Politics / National Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The midterm elections are on Tuesday, November 8th.

While President Biden's poll approval is below 50%, I believe it is because there's a yawning gap between perception - as provided daily by the billionaire controlled TV networks - and reality.

So here's the reality piece of it, since you've already been inundated with the ratings-driven TV networks view of things.


Halloween Parties & Events in NYC 2022

Halloween is Approaching ... the Ghouls, Goblins & Parties are on their way

October 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nycNYC Weather for Halloween. It's too early for a solid forecast for the Halloween weekend, but that said the normal weather around the time of Halloween is usually about 60 during the daytime and in the mid 40's at night. It's too early to tell what the precipitation will be as we approach Halloween, but we provide weather updates each Friday on the front page of this site which you can access by clicking the header above.

Here are links to some Halloween parties and events planned around the five boroughs. We will mostly finish updating these pages by the weekend ending 10/16/22.

Bronx Halloween Parties and Events NYC

Brooklyn Halloween Parties and Events NYC

Manhattan Halloween Parties and Events NYC

Queens Halloween Parties & Events NYC

Staten Island Halloween Parties and Events NYC

Enjoy.


Things To Do in NYC in September - Weekend Events

Things To Do in NYC Each Weekend in September

September 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of September in all five boroughs of New York City.

What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of September.

 

* Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

First Day of Autumn began Thursday Evening, Global Citizen Concert Returns Saturday, Fall for Dance Celebration Begins, Feast of San Gennaro ends Sunday; Great Irish Fair, Oktoberest at Fort Hamiltion & Local Play in Brooklyn; Hispanic Day Parade, Bell Blvd Stroll & Oktoberfest and Durga Puja Begin next weekend in Queens; Hip Hop Museum Opens, Native American Festival, Bronx Night Market, Stage Garden Rumba in the Bronx; Local Play on Staten Island; Rosh Hashanah Begins Sunday ... also Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more

things to do nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nyc eventsSeptember 23, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid 60's on Friday, about 70 on Saturday, rising to the mid 70's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 50 on Friday, rising to the mid 50's on Saturday and to about 60 on Sunday. The winds will be about 15 mph on Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph the rest of the weekend. The humidity will rise from 40% - 50% on Friday, to 40% - 60% on Saturday, and then up to 60% - 80% on Sunday. No rain is in the forecast until after 4 pm on Sunday, when there's a 50% chance of about a tenth of an inch of rain.

The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations while President Biden was delivering a speech about protecting our democratic institutions and rule of law. This means helping other democracies, in order to preserve and protect our way of life from autocrats and dictators who inevitably steal power and wealth away from everyone else in society.

The first day of Autumn began Thursday evening 9/22/22 around 9 pm.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins Sunday evening and ends Tuesday evening.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

The photo at right was taken earlier this week at the United Nations. Those two people traversing the rooftop of the building aren't roof repairmen.

From Saturday, September 17 through January 1, 2023 - Death of a Salesman at the Hudson Theatre at 141 West 44th Street in West Midtown. This celebrates the Black Theatre Day on September 17th, in honor of the first African American theater, African Grove Theatre, which opened 9/17/1821. Tickets cost $64 - $313. For more details and tickets see https://www.thehudsonbroadway.com/

things to do nyc things to do manhattan brooklyn queens bronx staten island things to do nyc eventsOn Saturday, the Global Citizen Concert returns to the Great Lawn in Central Park which lies between 5th Avenue and Central Park West and between 72nd Street and 86th Street. The gates open at 2 pm and the concert begins at 4 pm. You must bring printed tickets as mobile tickets are not being accepted. Admission $250 - $299 via www.ticketmaster.com. For further details on the concert see https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/festival/nyc/2022/

Thursday - Sunday, September 15 - 25, 2022 times vary - The San Gennaro Festival. This is an 11 day Italian festival that runs through Sunday, September 25th. There's a canoli eating contest today 9/16 beginning at 1 pm and tomorrow 9/17 there's a procession through Little Italy that starts at 2 pm. See their website for details of all events - https://sangennaronyc.org/

The Fall for Dance Festival began on Wednesday, September 21 at the NY City Center at 131 West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The program runs through next week, ending Sunday, October 2, 2022. Performances begin at 8 pm each night, except this coming Sunday & Monday, September 25th & 26th. Tickets are $20 and performances last about an hour and a half. For details and tickets - https://www.nycitycenter.org/

The NY Film Festival begins next Friday, September 30th at Lincoln Center and runs through Sunday, October 16th.


Columbus Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Columbus Day Weekend

nyc things to do columbus day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island columbus day weekend nycSeptember 27, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Columbus Day Weekend is only a week and a half away [from Friday, October 7 to Monday, October 10]. The following are a few suggestions for things to do over that three day / long weekend.

NYC Weather. As of September 27, 2022, the Temperature highs will be in the high 60's all four days of the long weekend. The temperature lows will be in the low 50's throughout the weekend. There's a chance of a small amount of rain, but the probability of rain as of this writing, is in the low double digits. Winds will be about 5 - 10 mph Friday and Monday and between 5 - 10 mph on all weekend. The Humidity will be between 55% - 70% throughout the weekend.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Columbus Day Weekend on Staten Island.

We'll also have an update with additional events on Friday, October 7th. Enjoy.


NYC News Updates NYS

Office Workers & Employers Facing a Choice - Come Back to the Office or -

The UN is Back Live in Session, a look at the Argument for Democracies vs Dictatorships, & What's with the Royalist TV News Groupies?

September 19, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycNYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's on Tuesday & Wednesday, dropping to the low 70's on Thursday and the mid 60's on Friday., The temperature lows will rise from the mid 60's on Monday & Tuesday to the low 70's on Wednesday, and then fall into the mid to low 50's on Thursday and Friday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph all week. The humidity will be 55% - 65% all week, except on Friday when it falls to 45% - 55%. There's a small chance of a small amount of rain in Thursday, with the probability gone by mid afternoon.

 

NYC White Collar Office Workers Continue to Resist a Full Return to the Office

As we noted last week, in our update, people are returning to mass transit. While weekend ridership on the subways has reached about 90%, weekday ridership lags behind at about 65% of prepandemic levels. One of the main drivers of the lower weekday ridership is that folks haven't yet resumed embraced a full return to the office at anywhere near prepandemic levels.

For about the past six months, only about 10% of white collar office workers in Manhattan, go to the office daily. But the number of people in the office each day has risen from about 38% to 49%, according to Parnership for New York City, a non-profit dedicated to primarily promoting the economic interests of NYC. Also, the percentage of workers staying fully remote dropped from 28% to 16% over the same six month period [April - September]. Nearly four out of five employers [77%] indicated that the preferred business model [demanded per employees] is now ready to accommodate folks who only want to travel to the office three of the five days in a work week.

Nobody is yet saying this, but it's my guesstimate, that over time, employees who are in the office more frequently are going to win out over those who are working remotely. And because of that phenomenon, I also guesstimate that over time, more folks will start spending more time in the office. But this may take years to play out.

There's a flip side of the coin above, which is that employers who accommodate remote workers, especially women who want to spend time rearing their children, could, over time, attract and retain some of the best and the brightest, even if they don't pay top dollar. For some, including myself, money matters - but it isn't everything.

As I look at what I've just written I see a potential lawsuit - discriminatory pay based on gender. But could it be discriminatory pay based on remote working? This discussion might have some parallels to the discussion below about dictatorships vs democracy and about valuing loyalty over talent.

Ultimately, time will tell, and it will be interesting to see how this all plays out. One thing is clear, many of us - if not all - are not going back to the status quo.


News Update NYC

Entering the Post Pandemic New Normal in NYC

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycSeptember 13, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperature highs will be in the high 70's and the temperature lows around 60. It will be sunny the rest of the week, with humidity ranging from 40% - 60%, which is fairly dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph, falling as the week wears on. No rain is expected between now and Friday evening, nor through the coming weekend.

So, a lot has happened since we last posted a news update. At right is a photo of one of the outer borough subway stations this summer. As you can see, mask wearing compliance has diminished.

 

MTA: Ridership Hits Post Pandemic High of 3.5 Million Weekday Riders on the First Day of the Reopening of NYC Public Schools & Governor Hochul Drops the MTA Mask Mandate

On Thursday, September 8th, the first day of the NYC public schools reopening, the MTA transported 3.6 million people. That's the highest ridership number since the pandemic began two and a half years ago in March of 2020.

In our August 9th report [see below] we suggested the MTA drop the mask mandate or enforce it. At the time we noticed that less than half of the passengers on the subway seemed to be adhering to the mask mandate. On September 7th, NYS Governor Hochul rescinded the mask mandate on the MTA, making masking optional, but still recommended that we continue masking on the MTA as we enter the colder months, when folks go indoors, where the probability of infection by airborne viruses like CoVid and the flu increases. The guidance is particularly relevant to those who are older or have underlying conditions, but it's also not unwise for everyone else too.

 

Shootings Down in NYC in August - In August 2022 There were 115 Shootings vs 165 in August 2021

This Follows the Passage of Federal Gun Restrictions by Congress in June, Biden's April Executive Order in Requiring Ghost Gun Sales be Handled in the Same Manner as Gun Sales & Mayor Adams & the NYPD's Effort to Remove Illegal Guns from NYC Streets

On June 25th, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. This is legislation that passed both the Senate and Congress earlier in the month. A number of moderate Republicans crossed the aisle in both the House and Senate to vote with the Democrats, on reigning in the gun violence free-for-all that we've been witnessing the past couple of years.

The federal gun legislation was the first of its kind to pass both houses and be signed into law in about 30 years. Among other things it enhances background checks for younger gun owners [under 21], and provides law enforcement with additional authority and responsibility to thwart potential shooters by empowering them to curtail a gun owner's rights if there's reason to believe that person poses a risk to the general welfare of the community. Added funding was also provided to incent law enforcement to pay more attention to problematic gun owners.

The Biden Ghost Gun sale regulations went into effect on August 24, 2022, following a failed court challenge to block the President's April 2022 Executive Order requiring ghost gun sales to be treated the same as other firearm sales.

In addition to the actions taken at the federal level, Mayor Adams has been working with the NYPD to reduce shootings through changes in NYC law enforcement to take illegal guns off the street. Year to date [as of end of August 2022], the NYPD had removed 4,880 illegal guns from the streets of which 405 of them were removed in August.

Other NYC crime statistics rose 31%. And NYS Governor Hochul passed a number gun regulations in response to the Supreme Court ruling overturning a century old NYS gun law.

We'll have a few more items to add, including on NYC public schools, on Wednesday 9.14.22. In the meantime, I hope you're having a nice week.


NYC Catholic Schools Open September 7th & NYC Public Schools Open on the 8th

Ode to Some of the Great Teachers I've Known, Who've Been Guides on the Trail of Life

In Words & Deeds, We are all Students & We are all Teachers, be it Consciously or Not

September 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycOn Wednesday, September 7th the Catholic schools in NYC reopen for the new school year.

On Thursday, September 8, 2022 NYC public schools reopen.  Many of the CoVid guidelines of the prior public school year have been modified, so copy and paste the following link for an update.  https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information/health-and-safety-in-our-schools.

 

Thinking of Those who Made a Difference

As I contemplated the upcoming school year I thought back to all of the great teachers who made a difference in my life. And so it is to them that I dedicate this column. Generally I'm going to discuss the school teachers as they chronologically entered my life, and discuss the other teachers in my life who taught me things outside of school, in reverse chronological order. Also please note that this is by no means a complete list, but really rather a first attempt at thanking some of the teachers who made a difference in my life, while passing on a few of the golden nuggets I learned from them.

 

The High School Teachers Who Made a Difference

It started at Abbott Pennings high school in DePere, Wisconsin where I grew up.  Father Frigo was our freshman or sophomore history teacher.  He was also a coach of the football and basketball teams which won state championships, and as such, was perhaps treated a bit too familiarly, even irreverently, by some of the star athletes in our class.  What Father Frigo taught me was that historical narratives change over time, and that, " ... you have to pay attention to whether you're looking at primary sources or secondary sources ... " to truly understand the nature of events. 

He taught us that, " ... revisionist history is a secondary source, but also plays an important role in our understanding of the past ...". He noted that pressure to conform to the prevailing cultural norms and narratives of those in power at a given time can distort and obfuscate the truth. But cultural norms and those in power change over time, so that oftentimes, at least in a free speech democracy, the passing of time permits a more honest appraisal of past events. We can see this playing out currently, as the Civil War 'heroes' of the Confederate south are more appropriately treated in historical terms as traitors to the republic, and as champions of a harsh, cruel system of enslavement of a large portion of the American population at the time. Likewise, in dictatorships, narcissitic despots often use and distort history to provide support for their violent aggression. We saw this scenario play out in Nazi Germany in the 1930's and 1940's, and we're witnessing it today in Putin's Russia.

My junior year I came up against a tough nun, Sister Janet, who for some god forsaken reason, took it upon herself to make sure that I understood algebra.  I fought her tooth and nail throughout the year, but over time she broke me down and taught me the beauty of the logic inherent in algebraic equations, for which there is no wiggle room between getting it right and getting it wrong.

And lastly, at Abbott Pennings high school, I was taught an even larger lesson by Father Meehan, in religion class.  I questioned some of the basic beliefs of Catholicism in class.  He patiently answered my questions, and in the end told me something that I will always remember, when he said, "don't stop questioning ... question everything".  Little did I know that that was both a blessing and a curse, as I have continued to question everything ever since.


Things To Do in NYC in August - Weekend Events

Things To Do in NYC Each Weekend in August

August 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Things To Do reports for each weekend in the month of August in all five boroughs of New York City.

What follows below is an example of the beginning of one of our weekend reports about things to do during the month of August.

Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

1) Blues & BBQ Fest, Summer Streets NYC, Dominican Parade, Macbeth, Little Shakespeare Fest & Asian American Film Fest continue in Manhattan

2) India Day Celebration, Festival of Cinema continues & Free Fan Tickets to U.S. Open Trials become Available in Queens,

3) Coney Island Sand Sculpting & a Rum Festival Return & Hip Hop Film Festival Continues in Brooklyn;

4) SummerStage Concerts at Crotona Park Amphitheater, Dinosaurs at the Zoo & Piazza di Belmont in the Bronx;

5) Summer Concert on Staten Island;

6) also Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycAugust 12, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the low 80's and the temperature lows in the mid 60's all weekend. The humidity drops to 40 - 50% all weekend except Sunday when it begins rising again to about 60%. The winds will be 4 - 10 mph all weekend. No rain is in the forecast.

In the photo at right is a hip hop performer who is a part of a troupe that performed outside the entrance at Christies New York [an auction house] last weekend. The performance was part of a citywide dance festival [we only posted a couple of events], and also a tie into Christies' current online auction of early Hip Hop memorabilia which expires on August 18th, 2022.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan NYC

Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 1 - 9 pm - Blues BBQ Festival. Free summer concerts at Pier 76 near Chelsea Piers in Midtown Manhattan NYC. Free admission, with food not included. For details see - https://hudsonriverpark.org/visit/events/event/blues-bbq-festival-2022/

Saturdays, August 6, 13 & 20, 2022 from 7 am to 1 pm - NYC Summer Streets - There will be street closures to autos and trucks along Lafayette starting at the Brooklyn Bridge, going north to 4th Avenue in the Village, which merges into Park Avenue at Union Square, ending at 72nd Street. People are welcome to bike, stroll, skateboard and whatnot. Motorists will have access to some major cross streets which you can find listed by cutting & pasting this web address into your browser - http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/about/neighbors.shtml.

On Sunday, August 14, 2022 beginning at 1 pm there's a Dominican Parade that marches up 6th Avenue from 38th Street to 56th Street in Manhattan.

Thursday, August 4 - Sunday, August 14, 2022 - The Little Shakespeare Festival. It's called 'little' because each production contains only four or five actors. 1) August 4 & 6 - As You Will - at 9 pm and 7 pm respectively, 2) August 5, 7, 11, 12 & 14 - Romeo & Juliet - at 7 pm weekdays and 5.30 pm and 4 pm respectively on Sundays, 3) August 6, 10 & 13 - Unspoken Garden - at 2 pm Saturdays & 7 pm weekday, 4) August 9 - Fights of Shakesepeare & As You Will [double feature] - at 7 pm and 5) Brawls & Burlesque, August 13 at 7 pm & 14 at 2 pm. At the Frigid Theater NYC which performs at Under St. Mark's Theater which is located in the basement at 94 St Marks Place [=8th Street] at 1st Avenue in the East Village - www.frigid.nyc / Tickets are $25 / $20.

August 3 - 13, 2022 - Asian American International Film Festival. This year [2022] they're back with live events and in person screenings at the Asia Society & Museum on the Upper East Side. The Asia Society & Museum is located at 725 Park Avenue at East 70th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan NYC. Tickets are $16 / $10 - For details see www.aaiff.org.


Labor Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Labor Day Weekend

nyc things to do labor day weekend nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island August 29, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Labor Day Weekend arrives this coming weekend.

The following links will bring you to a list of special events happening this Labor Day Weekend in each borough, as well as the highlighting of a number cultural institutions in that locale.

We'll be updating our front page on the Friday before the Labor Day weekend, with an up-to-date weather forecast, as well as additional Labor Day Weekend events and updates. So please come back to visit us Friday or over the weekend.

In the meantime, have a good week.

Click for an update on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in the Bronx.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Brooklyn.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Manhattan.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day in Queens.

Click here for Things to do Labor Day on Staten Island.


NYC / NYS Politics - Primary Election Tuesday, August 23rd

These are the U.S. Congressional & NYS Senate Primary Races not Held June 28th

nyc poll site locator queens poll site locator manhattan polls locations

August 23, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The second NYS primary election is on Tuesday, August 23rd.  On the ballot are the U.S. Congressional races and the NYS Senate races, which were not on the ballot on June 28th.

Reason for the Second Primary this Summer & Races to Watch

The reason there were two NYS primaries this year is that the electoral districts drawn up by the Democrats were so gerrymandered, that an upstate court ordered the NYS Legislature to redraw them more fairly. The decision was upheld on Appeal, but due to the timing - the Appeal decision came down in April - there wasn't enough time to redraw the maps in time for the June primary. Hence a second primary today.

The biggest contests to watch coming out of this election is the one pitting two longtime Congresspeople against each other in District 12 - Jerry Nadler of the Upper West Side and Carolyn Maloney of the Upper East Side. And there's a tight race just north of the city in Westchester where Alessandra Biaggi is challenging Sean Patrick Maloney in District 13. Earlier this summer, former Mayor de Blasio dropped out of the congressional race in the newly redrawn 10th District which encompasses part of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood.  Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to elect our leaders. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now.  So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.  

The New York State election is Tuesday August 23rd, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.


NYC News Updates

CoVid Update, Monkey Pox Update, Tourism Return Dampened by Strong Dollar, Pandemic Spending Shifts & Psychological Impacts

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycAugust 9, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 90's today, falling into the mid 80's for the rest of the week. The temperature lows will be around 70 all week. The humidity will rise from the mid 50's early Tuesday to the mid 70's by Wednesday, falling back to about 60% on Thursday and a comfortable 50% on Friday. There's a 50% chance of a 1/10th inch of rain between 5 - 10 pm Tuesday, and a 50 - 75% chance of about a half inch or more of rain between 11 pm Wednesday and 9 am Thursday. By Friday it's a very nice day, leading into a very nice weekend.

 

CoVid Containment in NYC - MTA Should Either Enforce the Mask Mandate or Withdraw it

This past weekend I noticed that half or less of the passengers on the subway appear to be following the mask mandate. To the MTA I suggest either enforce the mandate, or withdraw it. You weaken the government's credibility and ability to enforce compliance, when you mandate something and then do not follow through by properly / evenly enforcing it. Every good parent knows that.

The BA.5 variant of CoVid grew rapidly from under 10% at the beginning of June 2022, to above 80% by the end of July. Cases rose briefly during that period, before falling back again. About 79% of all Americans have received at least one dose of the vaccine, while about 68% have received two or more. In NYS 91% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose, while 78% have received two or more doses. Because the population has finally come around to getting vaccinated, the hospitalization rates for CoVid are fairly low, with only a small percentage of hospital beds being utilized for CoVid patients, most of which are occupied by the non-vaxers.

Bear in mind that it's the summertime, which is the off season for the disease, because folks are outdoors.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC & Boros

The Holidays have Arrived in NYC

queens world film festivalNovember 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weather. The temperatures will be in the mid to low 40's during the day and the mid to low 30's at night. Humidity will be fairly low ranging from 35% to 50%. No rain is in the forecast. The winds will range from 10 - 16 mph, so fairly windy.

As hard as it is to believe, the holidays have arrived. Last weekend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree arrived. It's an 80 foot spruce which will be lit on Wednesday evening November 30th.

Following the lighting at Rockefeller Center, there's a new street program entitled Fifth Avenue for All. It starts Sunday, December 4th, continuing Sunday, December 11th and ending Sunday, December 18th whereby 5th Avenue will be closed to automobile traffic from 49th to 57th Street, from 12 noon - 6 pm. There will be food vendors, musicians, pedestrians and others, who will take over the street.

And of course the holiday events and holiday shopping seasons have begun as well. We're working on holiday markets as we speak, and we expect to continue updating through the weekend. But you can use the links below in the Holiday Markets report filed earlier this week, to see how far we've gotten in posting the holiday markets which have begun opening.

 

queens world film festivalManhattan

Holiday shops at Bryant Park and Grand Central Station open. Ice rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center are open. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is up, but not lit.

Shortly after this photo was taken late last week - the rains came, the tree leaves fell, and the trees are now generally bereft of any foliage.

Use the Manhattan Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Manhattan between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

 

Queens

In the photo top right is an entrepreneur who is managing a popup market just outside the Alcove at 49th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside Queens. They're open this Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to about 8.30 / 9 pm each day.

The Amaze Lights Festival began November 11th at CitiField in Flushing and runs through January 8th, 2023.

The Winter Lantern Festival began at the Queens County Farm at 7350 Little Neck Parkway.

Use the Queens Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Queens between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

 

Brooklyn

There's a holiday lighting ceremony on Friday, November 18th from 5 - 6 pm in Albee Square at Fulton and DeKalb Streets in Downtown Brooklyn.

Holiday markets have begun in Williamsburg and at Fort Greene Park.

Use the Brooklyn Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to Brooklyn between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

queens world film festival

Bronx

Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights and NY Botanical Garden Glow and Holiday Train.

The photo at right shows some of the artisanal crafts, accessories and objets de art for sale at the TRADiction popup market in front of the Alcove restaurant in Sunnyside Queens.

Use the Bronx Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of numerous holiday markets / holiday fairs / holiday events coming to the Bronx between now and the new year including the ones noted above.

 

Staten Island

On Saturday, November 19, 2022 from 10 am - 4 pm there's the Great Kills Moravian Church Annual Holiday Sale in the parking lot of the Great Kills Moravian Church at 62 Hillside Terrace in Great Kills neighborhood on Staten Island. The holiday sale features handmade gifts & decorations, baked goods, a Christmas cafe, and a mitten tree. Find gifts, stocking stuffers, and decorations. Donations of hats, mittens and gloves will be donated to those in need.

Use the Staten Island Holiday Market link below to obtain further details of almost a half dozen holiday markets / holiday fairs this weekend on Staten Island including the one noted above.

 

I have a bit more to do on Manhattan as of Saturday evening around 9.30 pm. It should be done tonight.

Have a nice pre-Thanksgiving Day weekend.




Things To Do in NYC in July - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in July

July 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of July 2022.


Things To Do This Weekend in NYC

1) Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, Greek Festival, Pow Wow & Jamaica Jerk Festival in Queens, 2) Shakespeare at Bronx Music Center, Bronx Night Market, Piazza di Belmont & the Bronx Dominican Parade returns to the Bronx; 3) Gallery Players, Piper Theater Performances, Burlesque at the Beach and BRIC Concert Series continues in Brooklyn; 4) Songwriters Showcase, Ailey Moves & St. Lukes Concert, Mame Opens at the Victory Theater, Much Ado about Nothing, Final Movie / Concert at the Lighthouse Museum on Staten Island; 5) SHENYC continues, Dance Intensive, Twelfth Night & NY Asian Film Fest ending, Movies and MacBeth Begins in Manhattan, and Free Outdoor Concerts, Movies & Theater, Farmers Markets, NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools, Street Fairs, Public Beaches

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycJuly 29, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC Weekend Weather. The temperature highs will be in the mid to high 80's and the temperature lows will be in the low to mid 70's. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph all weekend. The humidity will fall from 50% - 70% on Friday, to 50% on Saturday, rising to 50% - 65% on Sunday. There's a chance of about a quarter inch of rain sometime between 10 pm Friday night and 4 am Saturday morning. All in all not a bad weather weekend.

The photo at right is of the dragon festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The festival returns this weekend.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Queens NYC

Thursday - Sunday, July 28 - July 31, 2022 - Thurs / Fri / Sat / Sun - 5 pm to 11 pm - St Irene Chrysovalantou Church - This Astoria street fair is along 23rd Avenue from 36th Street to the Amtrak trestle. Traditional Greek food, music, and folk dances every night, as well as rides for the kids and a marketplace. The feast day celebration starts with a mass on Wednesday at 7.30 pm inside and continues with various religious services through the end of the feast on Sunday.

On Friday, July 29, 2022 beginning at 7.30 pm / Hip to Hip Theater Free - Pericles - There's a performance of Shakespeare at The Voelker Orth Museum is located at 149-19 38th Avenue in Flushing.

On Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 2 - 5 pm - there's a performance by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York Guelaguetza Festival at Socrates Sculpture Park which is located at 32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway in Astoria / LIC.

Friday through Sunday, July 29 - 31, 2022 - There's a Pow Wow at the Queens County Farm at 73-50 Little Neck Parkway in Bellerose Manor / Little Neck neighborhoods of Queens. Performances run from 7 - 10 pm Friday; 12 noon - 5 pm and 7 - 10 pm Saturday; and from 12 noon - 5 pm Sunday. The Grand Entry of tribes is at 7 pm Friday, 1 pm and 7 pm Saturday and 1 pm Sunday. Gates open at 6 pm Friday, and 10 am on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets run $15 / adult and $8 / kids 12 and under [discounted rates for full weekend passes].

Saturday & Sunday, July 30 & 31, 2022 - from 9 am - 5 pm - Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival at Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Live boat races, food, shopping and entertainment. Free admission. www.hkdbf-ny.org. Free admission.

Sunday, July 31, 2022 - Jamaica Jerk Festival - From 12 noon to 8 pm - Carribean Food Festival with music at Roy Wilkins Park 177-01 Baisley Blvd at Merrick in Jamaica. Admission $45 advance / likely more at door / Children under 10 Free. Tickets at www.jerkfestivalny.com.

Use the links below to see details about the concerts, theater and movie events above, as well as for details on the free summer concerts, theater and movies for the rest of this summer in Queens. For example next Monday free summer movies in Astoria Park, free performances of Shakespeare in Queens parks, a free movie in Rufus King Park on Friday 7/29 in Jamaica, a paid movie with workshop at the Queens Botanical Garden this Saturday 7/30, free concerts and dance performances in Athens Square Park on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Astoria, live music and dance in Travers Park in Jackson Heights on Sunday 7/31 and a free concert in Gantry State Park in Tuesdays.


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Easing into the Curve - Summer Nears Half Way Mark

NYC is in Full Summer Swing & While Not Back to Full Strength, We're Nearing it ...

July 26, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We've mostly been trying to stay abreast of all the summer events this past month. Event schedules changed, some schedules have been reduced, and some venues have closed or remain on hiatus. But by and large, most venues are back up and running on some kind of level, while trying to protect the health and safety of their associates as well as the general public vis a vis CoVid.

So as we remained focused on staying abreast of the many summer events easily accessible to most of the denizens of NYC and NYS, we did not take our eye off of the more serious issues swirling around us. The following is a list of events we've been monitoring and researching along the way, which we intend to delve into in the coming weeks, and perhaps months.

 

Untimely Death: Two Russian Oligarchs Live on Ivana Trump's Block

I have a few unanswered questions regarding Ivana Trump's sudden, unexpected, accidental death.

Ivana Trump lived in a building in Manhattan on the Upper East Side in which Donald Trump reportedly still owns a total of five units. It just so happens that Ivana's residence is also on a block where two Russian Oligarchs own large residences, and for a time, where the divorced wife of a third Oligarch, lived. The wife of the third Oligarch is Dasha Zhukova who was married to Roman Abramovich. Zhukova became fast friends with Ivanka Trump, after being introduced by Wendi Deng, the former wife of Rupert Murdoch [Fox News / WSJ / NY Post] sometime around 2007.

The Russian Oligarchs who own residences on the same block where Ivana Trump lived, are Oleg Deripaska and Len Blavatnik. Deripaska's residence is just across the street from Ivana's residence, which if he were to be a spy, would be an ideal a location. Dasha Zhukova [the former wife of Abramovich] lived in Deripaska's residence in 2018, apparently departing from that residence sometime before September 2019.

Zhukova moved ten blocks north of Ivana's block into a large four townhouse development upon which Zhukova's former husband, Roman Abramovich was working. According to a March 12, 2022 report in the Mercury News, Abramovich transferred the real estate, valued at $92 million, to Zhukova in 2018. In 2022 the Russian Oligarch sanctions hit, and now there's a question of whether transferred wealth to relatives [like former wife Zhukova] should also be sanctioned.

According to a March 17, 2022 report in the New Yorker, "... [Russian Opposition Leader Alexei] Navalny has described Abramovich as “one of the key enablers and beneficiaries of Russian kleptocracy...”. Abramovich is considered one of Putin's most trusted Oligarchs, having survived Putin's Oligarch purge after Russian President Boris Yeltsin's fall.

Abramovich must be an incredibly skillful manipulator - not just of Putin - but Abramovich was also the only Russian Oligarch who Ukrainian President Zelensky asked the U.S. not to sanction. Zelensky claimed it was in order to unencumber Abramovich to broker a Russian / Ukrainian peace deal in Turkey [see link below for further details]. The pact never even came close to happening. Separately, the two nations recently cut a deal to allow free passage of food through the Black Sea and Bosporous Straits, which less than 24 hours later Putin 'honored' by bombing the Ukrainian port of Odessa, from which the Ukrainian food is to be shipped.

The deal providing two of the world's largest food producers [Russia & Ukraine] safe passage of food through the Black Sea and the Bosporous Straits was brokered - not by the Russian kleptocrat Abramovich - but by the UN and Turkey. The Bosporous Straits is a Black Sea bottleneck, which is controlled by NATO ally Turkey, per an international agreement made decades ago.

See the Russian Ukrainian War report series for more about how Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky invited Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich to help broker a peace deal.

Back to Ivana's Trump's residence and her sudden, unexpected and accidental death. So Ivana's daughter, Ivanka Trump, became quite friendly with Abramovich's former wife, Dasha Zhukova. They became such good friends that they began interacting socially at very public events well over a decade ago. The first social event I found documented was in 2014 when Zhukova reportedly invited Ivanka and Jared to a fundraiser organized by her husband, Roman Abramovich, for a Jewish Museum he founded in Moscow. In 2016, as Donald Trump was running for President, Ivanka, Wendi Deng and Zhukova were also photographed at the the U.S. Open in Queens. And in 2017 Dasha Zhukova was reportedly invited to the Trump Inauguration weekend celebrations. Apparently there have been many other interactions, in between those public appearances and since, including some Abramovich investments placed in Jared Kushner's brother's [Josh] company.

My point in all of this, is that the Russians could have had social access to Ivana Trump's residence and / or were in a position to have access to Ivana Trump's residence via more nefarious means. Given Trump owned so many units in the building, and probably owns the building management company, a lot of the independent context surrounding Ivana's death would be hard to obtain by the authorities without strong cause. I heard nothing about any review of any building video footage on the property itself, nor from the surrounding buildings. After the funeral, Ivana's body was subsequently delivered to a Trump golf course in New Jersey, which is private property, owned by Donald Trump.

The details of Ivana Trump's autopsy were scant. The reporting of them had an uncertain quality to them. None of the reports indicated who called in the death. Not by name, not by association and not by any role. I find that odd. The first cited cause of death was "cardiac arrest" and then later the cause of death was said to be from 'blunt' injuries suffered in the fall. Ivana Trump was an athlete, and only 73 years old, so falling down the stairs, and dying from the fall, while believable, is also unbelievable.

It's worth noting here, that accidental deaths are reportedly a Putin specialty. A Russian media baron, Boris Berezovsky, who was on the outs with Putin, reportedly suddenly, unexpectedly and accidentally died in his own bathroom at the age of 67 in 2013. The police determined that the cause of death was "unexplained", but it was surmised that it could have been caused by chemical, biolgical or nuclear material.

The timing of Ivana's death, coincidentally worked in the Donald's favor, as the NYS Attorney General was about to follow through with depositions with the Trump children. Because of Ivana's death, all of the Trump children depositions were postponed by the NYS Attorney General. The Trump family funeral also provided an opportunity for Donald Trump to meet with his children without being asked any questions. I mention this because it's been suggested that Trump may have tried to tamper with a witness for the Congressional Hearings on the Trump Insurrection.

We know from Trump's campaigning in 2016, as well as from the January 6 Congressional Hearings of the Insurrection, that Donald Trump is not above encouraging others to do violence, when it serves his purposes. Ivana Trump reportedly kept contact with the Donald, even after their marriage ended, but the divorce was reportedly fairly hostile, although it also appeared that their relationship settled down, and might possibly have healed, over time.

Ivana and Ivanka Trump were reportedly close, as the only two women in that iteration of the Trump family. So, given the above as backdrop, what I found of particular interest, was the body language between the Donald, and Ivanka and Jared, at Ivana's funeral. They did not look each other in the eye, and Ivanka and Jared seemed to flee the rest of the family immediately after the funeral. Given the many funerals I've attended, that didn't strike me as normal.

These are just some unasked and unanswered questions that came to mind while I watched the Trumps mourn one of their own. I suspect neither Trump nor Putin will let up with their shenanigans, because right now both of them are losing, and by the time the 2024 election rolls around, both of them might become desperate. Stay tuned.


Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Movies in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Movies being Shown in all Five Boros Again this Year as We / NYC Continue to Make Our Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

tucker carlson fox fake news propaganda phoney flag waverJuly 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC continues its efforts to return to near normal. We've seen a gradual return of white collar workers returning to the city the past few months, although still falling short of a full return. Tourism also appears to be making a fairly robust comeback, which picked up in earnest before and since the July 4th holiday weekend.

Many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, have made a return - nearing the full force of prepandemic years - and certainly in a robust enough manner for one to enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film in the parks. What's missing, at this point, is the usual thrust of new ventures, as CoVid and finances are likely holding the venturesome back.

The following are links to the film events / free movies going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months.

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Movies Staten Island NYC


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Things To Do in NYC in June - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in June

June 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of June 2022.


Things To Do in NYC This June Weekend

Gay Pride Parade & PrideFest in Manhattan, the Jamaica Dance Festival Continues and the Astoria Park Fireworks Returns to Queens, the Gowanus Art Festival, Funday Festival, Midwood Mardis Gras & Tastes of Crown Heights in Brooklyn; Bronx River Sounds Art Fest & Bronx Night Market in the Bronx; Polish Festival & Free Concert for Ukraine on Staten Island; NYC Public Outdoor Swimming Pools Open Next Week, Early Voting Ends Sunday & NYS Primary Election Tuesday

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycJune 24, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperatures will be about 90 degrees this weekend, and the lows about 70 degrees. The humidity will be between 50% - 60% all weekend. Winds will be about 12 mph Saturday and about 17 mph Sunday. No rain is expected over the weekend, but about a 1/2 inch to an inch is due to arrive on Monday.

The photo at right was taken at the Gay Pride Parade in the West Village in Manhattan prior to the pandemic.

 

Things To Do This Weekend in Manhattan

Saturday, June 25, 2022 from 10 am - 6 pm - Little West 12th Street Block Party - Along Little West 12th Street between 9th Avenue and Washington Street in the West Village.

The Gay Pride Parade returns to the West Village on Sunday, June 26th beginning at 12 noon at Madison Square Park at 26th Street and 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The parade turns west toward the West Village at 8th Street, continues onto Christopher Street before turning north on 7th Avenue, ending at 15th Street.

Also on Sunday, June 26, 2022 there's also a Gay Pride street fair along 4th Avenue between 8th and 13th streets in the Village. It begins at 11 am and ends around 6 pm. The fair includes entertainment, food and wellness booths.


NYC 4th of July Fireworks 2022 Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens & Staten Island

Best Viewing Places / Locations to Watch Fireworks in NYC

4th july fireworks nyc fireworks 4th julyJune 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Macy's 4th of July fireworks will be shown along the East River again this year. They were shown along the East River in 2014, for the first time since 2008. Mayor de Blasio had lobbied the change, which now spans nine years.

But the Macy's July 4th fireworks isn't the only fireworks show in town. In the Bronx there's the Independence Day fireworks at Orchard Beach, in Queens there's the fireworks in Astoria Park, in Brooklyn there's the Coney Island fireworks and on Staten Island there's the Travis fireworks and the Raritan [NJ] Bay fireworks which may be seen from Staten Island.

Last year the Raritan Bay fireworks remained on hiatus because of CoVid. All of these fireworks shows lie ahead of us, as well as the Long Beach fireworks on Long Island.

Click these links for details to July 4th fireworks viewable from each of the boroughs, including some suggestions on from where to best view them.


SHORT

NYC / NYS Politics - Primary Election Tuesday, June 28th

NYS Primaries are June 28th - Except for U.S. Congressional & NYS Senate Races

nyc poll site locator queens poll site locator manhattan polls locations

Updated June 27, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

The NYS primary election is on Tuesday, June 28th.  On the ballot are the following races: U.S. Senate, Governor, Other state executives, State Assembly, Special state legislative, School boards, Municipal government and Ballot measures.

Click on the image above to access the poll finder website, so you can easily find where to vote in your neighborhood.  Remember this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and many of our ancestors died for our right to vote. A similar struggle for freedom from oppression is going on in Ukraine right now.  So in as much as you can, do your homework before voting for those you choose to represent you / us. There's still time to do some research on candidates on the web.  

The New York City election is Tuesday June 28th, and polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. Click on the graphic above, to find your poll site.

FYI - July 4th Fireworks celebrations coming later tonight.


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Mostly Free Summer Outdoor Concerts in NYC

There are a Number of Free Summer Outdoor Concerts being Performed in all Five Boros Again this Year, Showing that NYC Continues to Make its Journey Along the Path to Near Normalcy

tucker carlson fox fake news propaganda phoney flag waverJune 24, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Paid & Free Things To Do NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

NYC is well on its way to returning to a post pandemic normal. Tourism also appears to be making a big comeback, which we expect to continue leading up to and beyond the July 4th holiday weekend.

And many of the free summer cultural programs, that have been the hallmark of summers in the city in years past, have made their return, and are beginnning to approximate full force - and possibly then some. So kick back and enjoy some free live performances of song, dance and theater, as well as the free enjoyment of outdoor film and swimming at the pools in the NYC parks.

The following are links to the musical happenings / free concerts going on around the five boroughs of the city over the next couple of months. We'll have these fully updated in time for the 4th of July holiday weekend

Enjoy.

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Bronx NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Brooklyn NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Manhattan NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Queens NYC

Free Things to do NYC / Free Outdoor Summer Concerts Staten Island NYC


Free Things To Do This Summer - Free Theater NYC

Free Theater in the Parks, Free Shakespeare in the Park NYC

nyc things to do this weekend nyc manhattan queens brooklyn staten Island bronx things to do nycJune 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This year summer events appear to be returning to some semblance of normality, following the uncertainty surrounding the CoVid pandemic these past two years. While some summer theater events won't be returning, many outdoor theatrical performances will.

We're in the process of completing a preliminary round up of who's performing this summer and who's not, which we expect to complete before the July 4th holiday weekend.

So here it is by borough. As of this posting we're still finishing up our work on these events, but should be done later this week.

Enjoy ... or shall I say 'break a leg'.


NYC News Updates June 2022

CoVid Guidelines Issued by State & Federal Govt Sometimes at Cross Purposes, NYC Tourism Coming Back, Why There are Two NYS Primaries in 2022, Former Mayor de Blasio Running for Congress, Inflation & Wages are Up but Expected to Slow, Public Schools End School Year on 6/27/22, Will the Rangers take the Stanley Cup, Will the Celtics Win the Championship & Will the Mets & Yankees hold onto their Leads?

June 7, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of months. Our last news update was at the end of February [2/22/22]. 

CoVid Regulatory Guidelines Differ at Federal & State Levels

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycOn March 17, 2022 the NYS CoVid general restrictions under the H.E.R.O. Act expired.  The expiration did not include the masks mandate requirement on NYC & NYS public transit. 

On April 18, 2022 the CDC / Federal rescinded their mask mandates on federal transportation, while - as noted above - NYS has kept its mask mandate in effect.  As one might expect, this has led to some confusion.  So to be clear, when using the MTA, LIRR or Metro North trains, masks are still required.

Be advised that local businesses have the right to decide what rules apply to customers who enter their facilities.  For example, Broadway theaters and many other entertainment venues still request proof of vaccination and / or masks indoors.  Broadway theaters extended their mask mandate requirement of attendees at performances through June 2022.  Conversely, most NYC restaurateurs no longer check vaccination status, let their customers decide whether or not to wear masks, and most restaurateurs provide the option of indoor / outdoor dining, which was established as an economic response to CoVid, in support of local restaurants by the de Blasio Administration.

Vaccination rates for NYC and NYS continue to inch up quite slowly, but that's now a somewhat dated metric, because if one is not boosted, the CoVid immunity and protection fades over time.  The CoVid vaccination protection generally recedes significantly while approaching 6 months after the first two shots, so getting boosted is important, particularly if you are immuno-compromised, have an underlying condition, or fall into an elderly age group [over 50 years].

NYC Tourism Bouncing Back

NYC tourism is coming back and the city economy is picking up.  The past month or so, we've been inundated with notices of public events and entertainment venues coming back to life.  We've not yet gotten back into the full rhythm to accommodate as many as we'd like, but we're getting there.  Our monthly things to do calendars will be coming back to life bit by bit, starting this weekend.  The calendar is accessible from the top tool bar, by clicking the first button from the left.

Mayor Adams said yesterday [6/6/22] that NYC hotels are booking at 95% of pre-pandemic levels.  The NY Post stated in an April 20, 2022 report, that the NYC hotel business would be down 55%.  We'll see how this plays out by the end of the year.


Things To Do in NYC in May - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend in May

May 31, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of May 2022.


Things To Do Memorial Day Weekend in NYC

The Unofficial Start of Summer Comes with Memorial Day Parades in Brooklyn, Queens & Staten Island; Fleet Week is Underway & the Intrepid is Hosting Events, Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit, Losaida and LES Festival in Manhattan, BAM Dance Africa Festival in Brooklyn, Sunnyside Gardens Park Fair in Queens, National Puerto Rican Day Parade Festival at 152nd St in Bx & Bronx Arts Ensemble & Night Market, Staten Island Mall Carnival Began, Golf Courses have been Open & it's the Opening Weekend of NYC Beaches, Farmers Markets, Street Fairs & more

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 29, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be near 80 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, rising to the mid 80's or higher on Monday. The temperature lows will be in the 60's all weekend. Over a half inch of rain is expected between about 2 pm Friday and about 4 pm Saturday, and the rest of the weekend will be dry. Winds will be 5 - 10 mph on Friday, Saturday and Monday, falling to 3 - 5 mph on Sunday. The humidity will be 80% on Friday, 70% on Saturday, and 60% on Sunday and Monday. All in all a pretty fair weather for the three day weekend.

The photo at right was taken at Coney Island in Brooklyn in 2019 prior to the outbreak of the CoVid pandemic. While CoVid hasn't gone away [and may never], it seems the worst of it is behind us and folks are beginning to return to what used to be their normal lives. Coney Island opened in April this year.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycIn the photo at right is just one of thousands of artworks for sale in a prior year at the Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit which begins Saturday and runs through Monday.

On Monday, May 30, 2022 the Inwood Memorial Day Parade begins at 11.30 am at Dykman Street and marches up Broadway into Inwood Park where a short flag raising ceremony will be held.

The Lower East Side Festival runs Friday through Sunday from 6 pm to 1 am [and Saturday also from 12 noon - 6 pm] at the Theater for the New City at 155 East 10th Street in the East Village. The festival includes theater, music, dance, film and kids stuff. Free.

The Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit begins Saturday and runs through the weekend. The art fair runs from 12 noon to 6 pm daily along University Avenue from Washington Square Park South to 13th Street in the Village.

The Losaida Festival is on Sunday, May 29, 2022 from 12 noon - 5 pm - Along Avenue C and 8th Street [Losaida Street] in the East Village. The fair celebrates Puerto Rican food, music and culture. Free.

It's Fleet Week in NYC and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is hosting a number of activities, topped off on Monday at 10 am with a Memorial Day Closing Ceremony. See www.intrepidmuseum.org/fleet-week for details.

This is Fleet Week and a number of U.S. Navy ships are docked in Manhattan and Staten Island. A number of events are planned in both locations. For details see http://militarynews.com/app/fleetweeknewyork/events.html


Memorial Day With Chief Joseph

A Conversation in First Calvary Cemetery in Queens

May 30, 2022 / Woodside & Maspeth Neighborhoods / Queens Culture / Queens Fiction / Queens Buzz.

calvary cemetery photos queensOn Memorial Day, I decided to make a trip to the First Calvary Cemetery to visit the graves of those who gave their lives defending this nation because the founding charters promise all [wo]men the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They fought for a noble cause I thought as I made my way, on a beautiful day, to the Calvary cemetery in Queens.

The First Calvary cemetery opened in the late 1840’s [circa 1847 – 1848] and was located only a short ferry ride away from Manhattan, up Newtown Creek. A couple more cemeteries were opened as the 19th century wore on, as most of Queens was still rural farmlands and woodlands. Many of the burials of the first century of operation were of Catholic Irish, Italian and Polish immigrants - many of which were children who died because of poor living conditions and medical care. Many soldiers had been buried here as well, many of whom were from the Civil War era.

As I was viewing a collection of the tombstones, reflecting on the lives sacrificed in the war over slavery, as well as the more recent wars that pulled nearly the entire planet into battle, a figure in the distance caught my attention. They appeared to be making their way in my direction, in this lonely empty section of the cemetery. I pulled out of my musings, and began to focus on this emerging presence as they made their way up the hill.

photos first calvary cemetery maspeth queensAs they came closer, I could see that it was an old man, of medium height, with long black and grey hair and a weathered, leathery, tan skin. He was wearing an old brown work shirt and khaki trousers and beaten leather shoes. No, they were mocassins.

I'm not sure why I thought of this, but his countenance resembled that of a legendary American Indian: Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph was a tribal leader of the Nez Perce tribe in the Wallowa Valley in northeast Oregon. Chief Joseph was born in 1840, only years before this cemetery was founded. He had actually visited New York City in 1897, to march alongside Buffalo Bill in a Wild West Parade.

The man slowly raised his right arm, palm open and fingers standing straight up like the Boy Scout salute, and in a deep full voice he said,

“How.”

I stood a bit at attention, as I returned the greeting.

“Hi. How are you today?”

He spoke again, this time in a language I did not understand.

“Mumba goycha tay.”

I looked at him and shook my head back and forth indicating that I did not understand what he’d just said.

Click here to read the rest of our Memorial Day fiction in Calvary Cemetery in Queens.


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NYC Swimming Pools - Free Outdoor Public Swimming Pools in NYC

greek parade manhattan nycMay 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

New York City offers easy access to a wide range of recreational indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The following provides you with a view of the range of public swimming pools available in the parks of the entire city. We encourage you to make use of these facilities because they provide healthy, fun, and frequently free or inexpensive entertainment for both individuals and families with children.

Be advised that as of this posting, the pools are scheduled to open on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. You're advised to bring sunscreen, a padlock for a locker and a towel. Please be respectful of your fellow Bronxians, Brooklyners, Manhattanites, Queensians and Staten Islanders while using the pools.

Click these links to view a listing of swimming pools in each borough, complete with location and contact information, swimming pool sizes, hours and other details.


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Pro Choice Rally in Manhattan NYC Last Weekend

I Heard a Number of Interesting Perspectives of Abortion Rights / Right to Choose Early Pregnancy Cessations or EPC's

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 17, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last Saturday there were a few Pro Choice rallies in NYC. Most notable among them were the one that started at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn, marching across the Brooklyn Bridge to Foley Square. And there was another group that gathered in Union Square which also marched to Foley Square.

I have some video and photos, but possibly the most interesting part of this report are the perspectives I picked up along the way, which provided me with a deeper understanding of the issues, primarily from a women's point of view.

First there's the science ...

Hi. Following up on the conversations I had and overheard led me to a lot of new information that I'm still processing. I hope to return to finish this sometime in the summer.

CLICK here to read the update on the Pro Choice Rally in Manhattan, including a fairly deep dive into the science, social impact, legality and dishonest political distortions of the issue of abortion when we post 'Update' next to the date of May 17, 2022 above.


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Memorial Day Weekend Things To Do in NYC

Things To Do in NYC over the Memorial Day Weekend

staten island things to do memorial day weekend staten island memorial day weekend si nycMay 10, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Memorial Day Weekend is a few weeks away. But given New Yorkers' interest in resuming some level of normalcy post pandemic, I thought you might want more time to figure out how you're going to spend the weekend.

NYC Weather on Memorial Day Last Year [2021]. The Temperature highs will be in the mid 70's on Friday, rising to 90 for Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will be around 60 on Friday and Sunday, rising to 70 on Saturday. No Rain is in the forecast. Winds will range between 5 - 12 mph all weekend. The Humidity will be betwen 40% - 60% through the weekend.

Click for an up-to-date forecast on NYC Weather.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in the Bronx NYC.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Brooklyn NYC.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Manhattan NYC.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day in Queens NYC.

Click here for Things to do Memorial Day on Staten Island NYC.

We'll also have an update with additional events on the Friday the Memorial Weekend begins. Enjoy.


Off the Red Carpet at the Met Gala's Gilded Age

I was on the Street During the Met Gala, with the Regular Folks of NYC

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycMay 3, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last night I went to see the red carpet arrivals at the Met Gala. The Met Gala is considered to be one of the most fashionable events of the year. It's by invitation only, costs between $30,000 and $35,000 per ticket. The event is generally said to run from about 6 pm to about 9.30 or 10.30 pm.

This year the fashion theme was of the opulence, fame and excess that accompanied the Gilded Age. But you'd never have known there was a theme, because the rich and famous of today - as back then - pretty much do whatever they want. And many of their outfits said just that.

Many observers think that the red carpet arrivals are the height of the show ... but then many observers likely never make it inside the museum to see how the other half parties.

Since this was my first time covering this event, I arrived unfashionably on time, around 6 pm, taking the subway to 86th Street as my limosine driver had the night off, and it really didn't matter, because my limosine has been in the shop for repairs for pretty much my entire lifetime.


Things To Do in NYC in April - Weekends

Things To Do in NYC by Weekend April

April 30, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz. This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the month of April 2022.


Things To Do in NYC This Weekend

Nice Weather Weekend for the 5 Boro Bike Ride NYC, Yankee Peddler Day at Historic Richmond Town Staten Island, Night Food Market & Orchid Show in the Bronx, May Day Festival & BAM Queer Film Weekend in Brooklyn, International Cultural Festival Queens & Dance Fest at Wolman Rink & Met Gala Monday in Manhattan ... and more ...

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 29, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather NYC. The temperature highs will rise from the low 60's on Friday to the high 60's on Saturday and Sunday. The temperature lows will rise from the low 40's on Friday, to the high 40's on Saturday to about 50 on Sunday. The humidity will be very low on Friday, ranging from 10% to 40%, rising to 30% - 45% on Saturday and then 35% to 55% on Sunday. The wind will finally settle down to 5 - 10 mph throughout the weekend. No rain is expected this weekend.

In the photo at right are cyclists participating in the 5 Boro Bike Ride as they make their way through Queens in a prior year. The cycling event returns Sunday. See details below.

 

Manhattan Things To Do This Weekend NYC

There's a Coney Island Polar Bear Club event on Saturday & Sunday at Wolman Rink in Central Park from 2 pm - 10 pm. It's a charity event and tickets aren't cheap at $191 / person. See www.wolmanrinknyc.com for details.

The 5 Boro Bike Ride returns to all five boroughs of NYC on Sunday. Details in Manhattan street fairs.

The Met Gala returns to the Metropolitan Museum on Monday.

Click here for Manhattan Farmers Markets.


Mothers Day Restaurants in NYC 2022

New York City Restaurants are Ready to Return to Life ... Beginning w/ Mothers Day ... Is This Irony and / or Coincidence?

nyc violent crime shootings gun arrests murders nyc manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten island gun arrests shootings murders nyc crime stats 2020April 26, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Restaurants / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. This forecast is being made more than a week ahead of Mothers Day, so it could change. The temperature will be between 50 and 70 degrees. And there's an uncertain probability of precipitation. But celebrating Mothers Day isn't dependent on the weather, as how the day goes is up to you.

We posted a number of different reports, one for each borough, each of which provides a wide range of Mothers Day restaurant suggestions. Given the pandemic took a bit of a toll on local businesses and restaurants this will steer you to the ones that will be open and ready to accommodate families on Mothers Day.

Bronx Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022

Manhattan Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022

Queens Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022

Brooklyn Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022

Staten Island Mothers Day Restaurants NYC 2022

Enjoy.



Russia Ukraine War Series

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The Yankees May Have Lost Sunday, but Not Because of Their Fans

I Encountered Yankees Fans on the #4 Train on Their Way to the Game

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 13, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

In the photo at right you see a group of Yankees fans on their way to the game on Sunday, April 10th. While the game was scheduled to begin at 8 pm, these super fans were on their way to the ball park at 4 pm.

They were brimming with enthusiasm, as the Yankees' 2022 season was off to a good start, beating their arch nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, in the season opener on Friday and again on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Red Sox rallied late in the game and won 4 - 3.

The video shows a few scenes of this group's talent and enthusiasm for the Yankees.


* Ukraine VI: War Sustainability & Possible Outcomes

A Closer Look at the Probable and Possible Outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian War

April 4, 2022 / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycIn Part VI, we're going to zoom into the current situation, looking at their wars are being financed, recent politics in both Russia and Ukraine, and popular support for the war in each nation.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. IT IS EXPECTED TO BE FINISHED BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEK.

A Little More History

The Cossacks were legendary fighters. The name trouble w/ authority so headed to the steppes.

Russia Relations - include Catherine II and Potemkin Village -
Two premiers, Nikita Kruschev and Leonid Brezhnev, were Ukrainians. And both of them helped moved the Soviet Union toward a less autocratic repressive regime.

Industry & Natural Resources

Natural gas, wheat, corn, fertilizer and the Black Sea / Azov.
They are a country rich in natural resources including coal, iron and steel, natural gas and oil (?).
They have x number of nuke plants. They became a technology and weapons sector during Soviet times in the 1980's.

There's a natural gas pipeline that flows through the Ukraine that provides a good part of Europe with its energy. It's still flowing as it also provides Russia with a significant amount of its reserves.

Languages and ethnicity is mixed. Borders fluctuated with the Poles in the west and the Russians in the east.

Ukrainian, Russian and Polish. Ironically the eastern section of the nation is where Russian is based and they voted to go west toward Europe. The western, Ukrainian / Polish part leaned toward Russia. There's enough of an ethnic and language mix there to defy easy categorizations, so beware.
Lang map.

The cities are predominantly in the east along the Dnieper River, Black Sea, Sea of Azov and the Russian border. That's also. where the industries and technology are. The western half of the nation is largely agrarian.


How Mentally Ill is the Australian Born Oligarch Rupert Murdoch?

Murdoch & his Rubber Stamp 'WSJ Editorial Board' Continue to Push the Bounds of Indecency with this Image

A Former Prime Minister of Rupert Murdoch's Native Australia called Murdoch a 'Cancer on Democracy', Murdoch was Called 'Unfit to Run an International Company' by a Member(s) of British Parliament, Murdoch's Company was Alleged to have Hacked the Phones of the Victims of 911 for Headlines, as well as the Phone of a Mother Whose Daughter was Murdered [also for headlines], he's been Accused of Government Corruption Many Times, and for Inciting the U.S., Britain & Australia to Invade Iraq for [Oil and] Ratings

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycApril 4, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

You don't have to have a journalism degree to see what's wrong with this image.

You don't have to be a member of an Editorial Board of one of the nation's three daily newspapers to see what's wrong with this image.

You don't need to be an editor to see what's wrong with this image.

What you do need is some sense of decency.

Which is what is totally lacking in the character of the man who controls the Wall Street Journal and it's Editorial Board - Australian born Oligarch, Rupert Murdoch.

After researching and watching him since 2015, I have come to the conclusion that he is easily a sociopath [weak moral compass], and more likely a psychopath [unstable and aggressive personality disorder].

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisSee for yourself on these two WSJ pages before they hopefully have the decency or shame to take it down.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-told-the-truth-putin-has-to-go-russia-ukraine-invasion-leader-free-world-regime-change-11648998065?mod=hp_opin_pos_3

https://www.wsj.com/articles/strategic-defeat-putin-russia-blinken-biden-zelensky-bucha-war-crime-kyiv-mass-grave-atrocities-united-nations-un-human-rights-shelling-odessa-ukraine-11649016865?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

It's worth reminding people that this man, Rupert Murdoch, controls or wields incredible influence in about half of our daily national news media [Fox, NY Post, WSJ & ABC News], which is why things have become so messed up since he arrived on our shores. But the TV newspeople who do and don't work for him, fail to inform the nation, by calling him out.

I believe most Americans don't even know who he is [somebody needs to conduct a poll]. And he greatly influences - if not controls - the national conversation.

Part VI of the Ukraine series coming this week.


Ukraine Part V: Adding Context to the Shallow Reporting of TV News

In Part V We Delve into the Russian Politics Leading up to the War in Ukraine, the Role of the Russian Mob and Oligarchs and a Look at NATO Expansion & What's Happening at the Peace Negotiation Table in Turkey

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

To Understand Russia Today, a Little Background is in Order - Unfortunately the Incredibly Lame TV News is Failing Miserably at Providing it

In the graphic at right is the head of the Russian mob, Semion Mogilevich. Mogilevich, a Ukrainian, rose in the criminal world in Russia reportedly starting in the 1980's. In the early 1990's as the government of the Soviet Union was collapsing, Mogilevich and Vladimir Putin became fast friends.

At that time, the Russian mob began spreading like cancer to the nations of Eastern Europe, as well as to Britain and the U.S.. The spread of the Russian mob was fueled by disgruntled Russian veterans from the Afghanistan War, and by ill-gotten gains, some of which allegedly came from an incredibly corrupt Russian government which was first headed by Boris Yeltsin, and then his hand-picked successor, Vladimir Putin.

One of Mogilevich's under bosses met with Donald Trump as early as 1984. According to a January 12, 2019 report by Vox,

"... The very first episode that's been documented, to my knowledge, was in 1984 when David Bogatin -- who is a Russian mobster, convicted gasoline bootlegger, and close ally of Semion Mogilevich, a major Russian mob boss -- met with Trump in Trump Tower right after it opened. Bogatin came to that meeting prepared to spend $6 million, which is equivalent to about $15 million today ... Bogatin bought five condos from Trump at that meeting. Those condos were later seized by the government, which claimed they were used to launder money for the Russian mob ..."

 

The Primary Differences Between a Free Society & a Dictatorship - Truth & Transparency vs Deception & Corruption

Except for the most corrupt of people, most humans - given the choice - would like to live in a democracy: 1) in a society governed by laws, 2) where free speech doesn't get you 15 years in prison or a death sentence like it does in Russia today, 3) in a nation where you get to choose your leaders, and 4) can non-violently fire your leaders when they implement bad policies for the nation. That's what we have here in America, and that's what most of the other NATO countries offer their people.

At present Russia is the bizarro rendition of the free, democratic nations of NATO. Putin's changing of the Russian Federation Constitution in 2020 essentially enables him to hold government power for the rest of his life [until 2036, when he's age 83]. And the imprisonment and multi-year sentencing of Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny in 2021 / 2022, shows that Russian rule of law is merely a charade. Reportedly between 13,000 and 15,000 Russian peaceful protesters have been jalied since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine began in late February of 2022. Unfortunately, aspirations of becoming a free society, where the people are able to pick and choose their own leaders, continues to elude Russia, as the corruption in the Russian Federation electoral process, makes voting seem a useless waste of time.

For these and other reasons, Ukraine embarked on the path toward joining NATO since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And, as described in Part II of this report series, that's also why the Ukrainians have been seeking independence from Russia for at least a century - if not longer - prior to this most recent Russian invasion.

 

From Gorbachev to Yeltsin - Before, During & After the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Mikhail Gorbachev was the Secretary General of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1990. During his terms in office, he was a reformer who advocated for glasnost, which was the opening up of Russian society. Through glasnost, the government was more consultative with the people with respect to the policies it pursued, and there was wider dissemination of information. For the first time in about two thirds of a century [since the Russian Revolution] the Russian government loosened its restrictive control over the populace. Gorbachev also decided that Russia needed to withdraw from Afghanistan in 1989 [see our report on Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan which compares the two], since it was a winless war. In 1979, Secretary General Leonid Brezhnev had also expressed an openness to reforming the Russian government's role in society.

In November 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. Germany and Russia negotiated for East Germany's independence from the Soviet Union. In March of 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first President of the Soviet Union. He continued trying to move Russia into the modern world via Perestroika, which at first was about automation, but grew to entail economic and social reforms. Some of the Eastern European nations, like Lithuania, began to push for greater autonomy from the Soviet Union. To continue on the reform path, Gorbachev needed money, and this is where the west failed Russia during this transition.

By failing to help Gorbachev, by keeping Russia frozen out of the G7 which would have given him access to the liquidity of global markets, things worsened in Russia. Eventually a group of eight leaders of the Communist Party held Gorbachev under house arrest while he was vacationing near the Black Sea, in an attempt to stage a coup. Gorbachev refused to make / legitimize the governmental changes they demanded.

Back in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin, President of the Soviet State [which if I understand this correctly that Soviet state is now Russia], stepped in with troops loyal to him and protesters to stop the storming of the Russian Parliament and to save the government of Gorbachev's Soviet Union [which included all other Soviet republics at the time as well as Yeltsin's Soviet State]. By beating back the coup initiated by the members of Gorbachev's own Communist Party, Yeltsin ascended to the top spot. But not until after some changes were made.


Ukraine IV: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks

In Part IV We Delve into the Weapons of War, Current Scorecard, Media & Morale

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 21, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I found the map at right on Al Jazeera, an Islamic news site founded in Qatar, which is located in the Persian Gulf, about 2150 miles south of Crimea. It provided more detail than most other maps I found, showing the status of the cities and nearby lands.

 

Recap of Parts I, II & III

We began this series immediately after the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, in order to better understand ourselves what was going on, because it was difficult to find anything on the American television networks that seemed to provide a solidly contextual view of the evolving situation.

 

Thus, in Part I, I looked at the size of the populations and economies, a brief look at recent history, the changing borders defining the Ukraine, and the warped, fascist-leaning coverage, of Australian-born, billionaire propagandist, Rupert Murdoch's Fox News.

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysis

In Part II, I looked at some of the geography and topography of the Ukraine, its strategic value to Russia because of the north / south Dnieper River which begins in Smolensk Russia and empties into the warm water Black, again provided a bit deeper dive into Ukrainian history and the role of the Cossacks in the Russian Revolution, WWI and WWII [some of which Putin has been trying to leverage in his propaganda campaign], stumbled upon and looked into Putin's incredible alleged corruption and his $1.4 billion grand palace overlooking a resort town of the Black Sea, how Putin's crony corruption and Russian army conscription of primarily poor people appears to help explain the Russian army's failures since the war began, and how Americans - who appear to be Putin enablers and apologists - have been disrupting our response to the crisis, and distorting the information the American people are getting.

Since before Putin's Russia invaded the Ukraine, Tucker Carlson has appeared to be a Putin toadie. This is no surprise as Tucker visited Viktor Orban in Hungary last year, because Joe Biden called Orban a thug. Again President Biden appears to know what he's talking about as according to Wikipedia,

"... Because of Orbán's curtailing of press freedom, erosion of judicial independence and undermining of ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysismultiparty democracy, many political scientists and watchdogs consider Hungary to have experienced democratic backsliding during Orbán's tenure. Orbán's attacks on the European Union, while accepting its money and funneling it to his allies and family have also led to characterizations of his government as a kleptocracy..."

In one of Carlson's broadcasts the Tucker rhetorically states that,

"... anything less than hating Putin is treason ...".

Tucker then goes on to attack those who don't think Putin is such a great guy, blaming "the elites or the liberals or the Democrats" for pushing us around. This is the same old tired narrative Carlson uses in show, after show, after show - and yet somehow all of those 'bright people' who watch him don't tire of it. Carlson's multi-billionaire, Australian born boss - global propagandist Rupert Murdoch - has been using that narrative [blame the elities] since at least the 1960's, to undermine English-speaking democracies around the globe, in order to enrich and empower himself, in a manner comparable to Putin - but more slowly and insidiously, and with fewer casualties.

 

Hey, You Dumb Tucker, Putin is a War Criminal - Women & Children Dead

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisSo, to answer the Tucker's question, why should we hate Putin, I've included a few photos of Putin's recent handiwork. At right and below is an man injured by Putin's goons, followed by another man that Putin's goons killed, and further down is one of many locations, housing some of the 3.5 million Ukrainian refuges fleeing the war. Another 6 million Ukrainians have been displaced within their own nation. And countless others have been murdered by Putin's unprovoked invasion and war.

It's worth noting that within the past two weeks, Putin's goons have bombed a maternity hospital, a theater housing children and a number of schools - all in Mariupol which is located in southern Ukraine along the Black Sea, as well as a shopping center in Kyiv. None of these targets were military, all of them housed women, and at least three of the four locations housed children. So, to answer Tucker's question, the reason we might not like Putin is because he's a murderous war criminal, who continues to be aided and abetted by Tuckers like you, and your billionaire boss, Rupert Murdoch, who controls Fox News ... because of your deceitful and distorted reporting of the news - including omissions of some of the information and photos provided here. The photos above right was shown on Amanpour & Company, a news hour that provides very informative interviews, and below right was shown on CBS Face the Nation, a Sunday News program.


Ukraine III: Adding Context to What You're Seeing on the TV Networks

In Part III We Delve into the Threat of WWIII, the Russia / China Pact of February 2022 to Keep Dictators Putin & Xi Jinping in Power is Reminiscent of '1939 Pact of Steel' by Mussolini & Hitler, Putin's Alleged Corruption & Yacht, and the Putin-Pleasing-Propaganda-Press in America

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 14, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Recap of Part I

In Part I, two weeks ago, I looked at the relative sizes of the economy, population and industries of Russia vis a vis Ukraine. This was followed by a very short topline summary of some of the politics, culture and fluctuating borderlines of the Ukraine. And lastly, talked about how Fox News, the Wall St. Journal and the NY Post which are owned and controlled by a fascist-leaning billionaire from Australia [Rupert Murdoch], appears to be aiding and abetting Putin's War by continually bashing the Biden Administration, through his cadre of propagandists.

In the graphic at right, put together by the BBC in London, you can see that western Ukraine has largely been left alone, while the war rages in the East mostly along the Russian border. Western forces should be sure to provide Ukrainian forces with sea and river mines to thwart Russia's water borne assault capabilities along the Black Sea and the Dnieper River. They should also give consideration to bombing Putin's Palace at Gelendzhik on the Black Sea in order to publicize the alleged corruption of Putin and the Oligarchs as one of the reasons that the Russian forces have fared so poorly and why Putin - like Benito Mussolini - is reportedly asking [begging] Xi Jinping for financial and weaponry handouts. Both Putin and Xi deny the reports.

 

Recap of Part II - Putin's Alleged Palace & Corruption Impact on Russian Military, Morale of Russian Military - Half of Whom are Poor Peasant Conscripts - the Economic & Military Value of the Ukraine to Russia & the Fighting Heritage of the Cossacks

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisIn Part II, a week ago, I talked about how Australian born billionaire, mass media propagandist Rupert Murdoch and dictator Vladimir Putin's tactics share many similarities. They are differentiated in that Rupert Murdoch uses economic muscle and propaganda to get indirect control / influence over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. While Vladimir Putin also uses economic muscle and propaganda - but enhances it with a Nazi tactic by adding violence and force to the mix - to obtain direct control over the corporations and governments he wants to plunder. All of these tactics were used by the Nazis to gain control - first of Germany and then a significant portion of Europe.

The graphic at right shows Rupert Murdoch and Vladimir Putin during happier times. Eventually Murdoch exited Russian media under duress, likely because Putin realized how Murdoch manipulated his audiences. A Russian Oligarch, Boris Berezovsky, was said to be a Murdoch friend who at one time controlled a lot of Russian media. Berezovsky was believed to have been murdered, but it could not be proven, so the coroner left the verdict open. So why does Murdoch media appear to favor Putin? Fear? Because both have fascist tendencies? Or both?

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisThen I delved into the importance of the Dnieper River, which flows south from Smolensk in Russia through the Ukraine and into the Black Sea. It's important because currently Russia has limited access to the world waterways via the Baltic Sea which is treacherous for much of the year, and the Black Sea which is a body of water shared by many nations, including many of the former Soviet Republics, including Ukraine.

Conquering Ukraine would give Russia a broader, more defensible / offensible presence on the Black Sea. This is likely of great concern to other Black Sea nations such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Georgia. All but the last two are NATO member nations. And the Ukraine was working toward becoming an eligible member.

I also talked about Putin's $1.4 billion mansion at Gelendzhik, which is a beachside tourist resort in Russia along the Black Sea. Putin denies he built the mansion with public funds, although a number of military observers believe that Putin and the Oligarchs looted the Russian Defense budget, which is why Russia has performed so poorly in this war. Also, about half of the Russians of their 600,000 fighting force were young men conscripted to die for Putin's War in a manner not unlike what happened to the poor Russians during WWI when the Czars sent them to fight for the Czar's throne.

In the graphic at right, an American cartoonist shares a worldwide point of view that Putin is a war criminal.




Ukraine II: Filling in Context Not Provided by Corporate Run American TV Networks

In Part II We Delve into the 20th Century History of Ukraine vis a vis its Relationship with Russia & Examine a Couple of Putin's Propaganda Narratives, One of Which Murdoch's Fox News Amplifies

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

The photo at right is currently on exhibit in 'The Storming of the Capitol' photo exhibit at the Bronx Documentary Film Center in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. It shows how seemingly 'ordinary people' [like the man shown in the photo], can be incited by manipulative leaders, in concert with a faction of the press that manipulatively supports them, to destroy the very things for which they think they're fighting.

Some say there are parallels to what's happening in Putin's Russia, but the cultural differences and institutional complexities make such analogies cumbersome at best. One thing is clear, however, and that is that this saying - long attributed to Thomas Jefferson [and now uncertain] - remains true,

"Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy."

 

Last Week We Did Part I: A Ukrainian Overview

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisLast week I provided a look at some of the topline stats someone who wanted to know what was going on might ask. We researched the size of the two nations in terms of population, economies, industries and technology. Ukraine came in well ahead of what I had thought, while Russia came in behind what I had expected to find.

Then I started in on Ukrainian history and culture vis a vis Russia, but found it to lengthy and complex to discuss without further research, so again I gave a very brief topline report noting that Ukraine's borders have been in flux over the past century and beyond.

Then I provided another brief look into Ukrainian and Russian politics since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991. This was followed by describing how the Biden Administration is balancing deterrence while trying to minimize escalation in the face of the military aggression brought on by the new Madman of Europe, and minimize the collateral economic impact on Americans' daily life.

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisLastly, I took a look at an Australian born Madman's, American-based mass media outlets' coverage, of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The billionaire's name is Rupert Murdoch, and his organizations' daily distorted coverage of people, places and events is - as a whole - appears to be manipulative propaganda. His propaganda techniques are not unlike - but far more sophisticated than - the propaganda Putin is spreading in Russia.

Unfortunately, Murdoch and Putin appear to be in goal alignment, which appears biased toward kleptocracy and fascism. The difference is that from within our borders Murdoch's Fox News, Wall St Journal and NY Post appear hellbent in undermining Biden [and thus our nation at a critical time for Western Democracy] through their distorted 'news' reporting, while pretending not to do so. While Putin's propaganda machine is located outside of our borders, is state run, and thus answers only to Putin.

The graphics at right illustrate the point, where Murdoch's Fox News uses Biden's worst poll numbers over the past month, in lieu of using the most recent poll numbers. The Murdoch goal appears to use their 'distorted' [and predominantly if not totally negative] news accounts to undermine Biden during the Ukranian crisis, in order to pave the way for the Murdoch chosen candidate for president in 2024, which at present appears to be Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who honored Murdoch by providing $570 million of the taxpayers money to Disney in a tax break.


New Yorkers, including Russians, Show Support for Ukrainian Freedom

On Sunday, in Multiple Public Spaces in NYC, I Found Rallies for Ukrainian Independence

ukraine russian war analysis russia war in ukraine analysisMarch 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / / Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.  Report and photo by Michael Wood.

In the photo at right, you can see protesters in Washington Square in the Village on Sunday, February 27, 2022, voicing their opinions about Vladimir Putin's unprovoked aggression and invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The woman at the center of the photo asks,

"Why should you care?" and then she answers her question writing, "Putin Invasion = War on Democracy".

 

Russia & Ukraine - Putting the Conflict in Context - Date Rape

We're going to start a look into Putin's War on Ukraine. In doing so, we're going to report on it by providing a contextual framework to help you see things in a holistic manner, which is something the corporate run daily national news organizations seem to fail to do these days - while favoring sensationalistic, ratings-chasing, gossip-like, news reporting.

The gist of this story is that Ukraine is like a pretty woman who turned down Vladimir Putin's advances, so he decided to rape her.

 

The Basics - Ukraine's Population, Economy & Technology - Far Bigger & More Developed than I had Thought

Russia has a population of about 144 million as of 2020, while the Ukraine has a population of 44 million. This surprised me, perhaps in part because Russia has played such a visible role on the international stage, while the Ukraine has not.

Russia is also a much larger nation than Ukraine economically, as Russia has the sixth largest economy in the world measured in PPP, which is defined as 'purchasing power parity'. Ukraine, by contrast was the 40th largest economy in the world measured in PPP, and is the 44th [of 45] largest economy in Europe as measured nominally which includes the distortions made by currency exchange rates. Thus, when measured on comparable purchasing power [PPP], the Russian economy is only three times larger than Ukraine's, but because of currency trading, Russia does rates better on the global markets. The PPP numbers are measured based on a basket of currencies - not just the dollar - and thus PPP more effectively filters out currency exchange rate distortions.

The economies of Russia and the Ukraine also differ in terms of what they produce. The Russian economy is the second largest producer of oil and energy, including natural gas. Energy is Russia's largest single export and accounts for a significant portion of their government revenue. Russia is also rich in raw materials, commodities and minerals, which are used in its manufacturing sector. But the bulk of the Russian economy has been modernized and nearly two thirds of its economy is comprised of services.

The Ukraine has a large agricultural sector, as well as metals and coal sectors, which - as in Russia - facilitate manufacturing, and the Ukraine has the second largest natural gas reserves in Europe [but they still are a net importer of energy]. I couldn't find out what percent of the economy of the Ukraine was in services, but they have the fourth highest number of IT professionals in the world, and by 2015 over half of the nation had internet access [and in Kyiv it was 90%]. And their manufacturing base includes shipbuilding, aerospace and automotive.

So, to my suprise, the Ukraine is far bigger and is a far more technologically advanced than I had thought. And this helps explain why the little dictator, Vladimir Putin, is having trouble subjugating them.


NYC News Updates, Chinese New Year & Micaiah Carter @ SN37

MTA Ridership & Crime, NYC Vaccination Rates & Some NYS Mask Mandates End & is Biden Doing the Right Thing in Ukraine?

February 22, 2022 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This report is a catch up on some of the key local news items over the past couple of weeks.

MTA Ridership Slowly Inching Back to Pre-Pandemic Levels / Hochul Announces Fare Capping Program / MTA Crime not as Huge as the Corporate Broadcast Media Sensationalizes it

In the photo at right are a number of Chinese American women, who participated in the Chinese New Year Parade celebrating the year of the Tiger in Chinatown in Manhattan, were out to see and be seen last Sunday.

We've been tracking MTA ridership since the pandemic began. The subway ridership plummeted down 90% when the pandemic broke in the Spring of 2020. By the fall of 2020 MTA ridership had risen to a loss of 80%, rising to a loss of 50% - 66% in the Spring of 2021, and then a loss of 35% - 55% in the Fall of 2021. As of this week, the MTA subway ridership losses were in the range of 28% - 43% versus pre-pandemic.

On February 7, 2022, NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new 'Fare Capping Program' whereby passengers would only have to pay for 12 full fare rides in a week [but using the same device / MetroCard] and after which the rides for the rest of the week would be free [Monday - Sunday]. The program begins Monday, February 28th and is expected to run for four months.

The corporate broadcast media seems to sensationalize everything these days in order to ratchet up their ratings, revenue and profit. MTA Ridership during the winter a year ago was about half the pre-pandemic level, and today it's about two thirds the pre-pandemic level meaning it has risen about 50% vs a year ago. According to NYPD Compustat, crime in the subway during the past 28 days is up 33%, so crime isn't rising as fast as ridership.

Nonetheless, crime in the subways is up by about the same percentage versus the pre-pandemic levels, so it's a bigger problem than it was before the pandemic started. It is believed, that the reason for the higher transit crime rate, is that as fewer people rode the rails during the pandemic, the homeless moved in and were able to use the subway as their shelter.

Late last week NYC Mayor Eric Adams and NYS Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the city and the state would collaborate to increase the NYPD presence in the subways to remove and / or assist the homeless from making the MTA their home by offering them an option to leave or an option to get medical, psychiatric and social services help. To that end it was noted that the NYPD upped the deployment of NYPD [about 1,000 officers] into the transit system, focusing - it seems - on the major hubs, and the Governor was working on multi-billion healthcare plans which would include provisions for helping the mentally ill and homeless.

 

NYC & NYS Vaccination Rates Well Ahead of National Rates

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycThe current NYC vaccination rate is 77%, with another 9% having received at least one dose [86%]. The current NYS vaccination rate is 75%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [87%]. The current U.S. vaccination rate is 65%, with another 12% having received at least one dose [77%].

As a result of the vaccination rates, and with the passing of the Omicron super spreader holiday season, CoVid Omicron new case growth, hospitalizations and deaths have been declining at the NYC, NYS and USA levels.

  • For New York City the weekly, daily average, test rate of 1.7% for new cases, with only a weekly, daily average new case rate of 707 reported, a weekly, daily average rate of 35 hospitalizations and a weekly, daily average rate of 17 deaths.
  • For New York State the same weekly, daily average rates are 2% positive new test cases, about 1,750 daily new cases, about 200 daily new hospitalizations and about 35 daily new deaths.
  • nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFor the United States the same rates are 8% positive new cases [this is a week old number compared to the others herein], about 84,878 new cases, about 8,642 hospitalizations [this is a week old number compared to the others herein] and 1,964 daily deaths.
  • NYC and NYS are leading the rest of the U.S. in pulling out of the pandemic, as the southern and central states are lagging behind. If you look at a map showing vaccination rates versus a map showing infection rates, you can see that they are inversely related.
  • Are these maps indicative of the intelligence, or how well informed the people of each state are? Do the smart people live in the states with the higher vaccination rates, or are the people who got infected with CoVid at higher rates [because they didn't get vaccinated], living in states where they have fewer or less reliable information sources, like Fox News? Studies have shown that Fox News enhances people's ignorance of the facts. Look it up.

Honoring the Sacrifice Made by NYPD Officers Mora & Rivera

Mora & Rivera were Policemen, Civilians, Minorities, Immigrant and son of, Husband, Sons, Brothers and Real Heroes

What Can We do to Make Sure they didn't die in Vain?

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycFebruary 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

On Wednesday morning I made my way into Manhattan to observe the funeral of slain NYPD Officer Mora. To be sure, it was a solemn occasion. I got off the subway near 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Once above ground, I made my way to Fifth Avenue and 42nd where I came across the largest gathering of police officers I have ever seen in my life [see photo at right].

As I walked up Fifth Avenue, I could hear the eulogies over the loud speakers, echoing in the street. I took a few photos and some video of the gathering which spanned all the way up to 50th Street by St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eventually I had to detour off of Fifth Avenue, make my way down to Sixth Avenue, and then cut back in at 50th Street to get close to the cathedral on Fifth Avenue.

 

A Communal Gathering of Policemen from the TriState Area and Beyond, at Officer Mora's Funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycAs I walked and listened I looked around at all of the policemen gathered in honor of a fellow member of the fraternal order of policemen – not just of New York City but of NYS - and for that matter - the U.S. All of the police men and women were standing, some standing silently listening to the speeches, while others made small talk with each other, between the speeches, about their kids, their families, their jobs, their departments [homicide / detectives / street patrolmen], cars and boats, as well as chatting about which police department or organization they represented.

It reminded me of other funerals I had attended, which it’s been said, are for the living – not the dead. Yes, we come to honor the dead, but they have since gone. And it is left to us who are left behind, to make sense of things. It is our job to figure out how to take the lessons their lives and make them work for us, so that they will not have died in vain.

The expansiveness of the showing of support was somewhere between impressive and overwhelming, as I walked silently through this sea of dark blue, which filled over 8 city blocks on a wide avenue - and which spilled well into the cross streets both east and west of the entire eight blocks. There were thousands of police, mostly men with some women, mostly white but also many minorities, who had come to pay their last respects for a member of their ranks who had made the ultimate sacrifice. A sacrifice that all of them know they must be ready to make each day as they don their dark coats to serve and protect the community. Us.

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycI noticed the badges sewn to their coats, representing Trenton and Teaneck New Jersey, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, New York State, and of course the NYPD, as well as a smattering of policemen from more distant communities. They projected a sense of sadness and courtesy, as I made my way through the crowd. I sensed that they must also have felt some measure of comfort, standing there, side by side with others like themselves, knowing that they are supported by so many others who share their sense of duty, ready to face down danger.

This seemed a bit like a George Floyd like moment for the police in the city and perhaps the nation. These two young officers, were senselessly murdered, while responding to a domestic violence call within a few blocks of the 32nd precinct Harlem police station where the two police officers worked. Shortly after the policemen entered the apartment, the assailant shot them down with a barrage of bullets from a semi-automatic gun which the assailant had stolen in Maryland.

As I came upon St Patrick’s Cathedral, surrounded by the police, it seemed like a fortress with its big, thick church doors closed, to keep out the noise and cold air while the mass continued inside. A coterie of media people were on a platform across the street from the front of the cathedral, waiting for the doors to open. The Mayor, Police Commissioner Sewell and Wilbur Mora’s brother and sister gave speeches. Karina, Mora's sister, gave her speech in Spanish, as the Moras immigrated here from the Dominican Republic decades ago.


Some will Exploit & Distort Crime Stats & Events to Manipulatively Divide Us

They will Seek to Profit from our Divisions, Instead of Helping us to Find Common Ground in an Effort to Fix Things

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycFebruary 7, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The graphic at right is a Vox headline that asks why the diverging trends in crime vs violent crime.

Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch controls about half of our daily national corporate news media, including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and - along with two other Fox News investment funds - controls the largest share of ABC News stock.

For decades now, in English-speaking nations around the world, the propagandists posing as journalists who work for Murdoch, appear to distort the news so that Murdoch's favored politicans will get elected. Once elected, those pols seem to grant Murdoch huge tax breaks, regulatory changes and legislative favors in exchange for his propagandistic support of their candidacies.

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycThe cost to us, the American people [the British and Australians as well] is that many critical issues are never properly addressed by the government officials selected by Murdoch, because his favored pols are generally chosen and supported based on what they will do for the totally self-serving billionaire - not the public. Hence Murdoch pols don't appear to reflect the people's will, but rather are chosen because Murdoch mass media outlets have manipulated the views of enough voters via their distorted daily Murdoch mass media 'news' intake, to enable Murdoch's favored pols to get elected. Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels employed these same kind of tactics, on an unsuspecting public, back in the early 1930's, in Germany.

At right is a graphic showing one of Murdoch's mini-Goebbels, pushing a false narrative that is designed to enrich himself and his billionaire boss by demonizing Democrats. The goal seems to use these issues promote false narratives that favor their pliant pols into powerful positions in government so that they can change policies to pump up the billionaire's propaganda profits. One such example is that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave ABC / Disney a half billion dollar tax break last summer and thereafter he appeared to have an open mic on Fox News with propagandists like the Tucker shown above.

 

To Rein in Guns & Violent Crime, We Must First Rein in Murdoch's Fox, WSJ, NY Post & Increasingly ABC News Distortions & Disinformation on the Subject

nyc nypd officer mora's funeral manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island crime gun control bail reform community investments nycReining in the guns used in violent crime in NYC, is one of many such issues that seem to be given Murdoch's special brand of propagandistic 'news' treatment. Murdoch's news outlets' reports appear to pander to gun owners and the NRA [5.5 million members], who are outspoken and generally against gun control. According to a November 13, 2020 report by Gallup, about 32% of Americans own a gun and about 44% live in a household where there is a gun owner. Hence, gun owners represent a fairly sizeable block of Murdoch's mass media audience, and his news reports pander to them, just as the pander to other voting blocks that Murdoch media seek to manipulate.

At right is a map showing which states have the highest homicide rates. Note that the states with the highest homicide mortality rates are governed by the Republicans - the ones who claim they stand for law and order. But what many of the Republicans in these states really seem to stand for, are the special interest groups like the gun-promoting NRA. Urban police forces, which are generally found in Democratically governed cities, are finding that the guns used in the murders in their cities, are coming from the Republican states. Republican governed states have the nation's highest murder rates [see graph above] and most lax guns laws. I don't think it is helpful to policize this issue by demonizing the other side, but given Rupert Murdoch's grip on our national discourse through his ownership, control and influence over half of our daily national corporate media, somebody has got to push back with the truth.


Do TV Newspeople Tend to Hype Weather to Keep Viewers Inside Watching TV?

Why Would They do that? Maybe because it Generates Higher Ratings, which Increases Revenue & Profits

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island things to do events this weekend nycJanuary 28, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The TV newspeople appear to hype weather systems, to keep viewers inside all weekend, so they'll watch TV, and boost the corporate TV ratings to generate more revenue.

You can see an example of this in the graphic at right which shows a June 13, 2019 Washington Post report where a weatherman was fired by Sinclair Broadcasting, at a Murdoch ABC News station affiliate, because the weatherman wasn't going to use 'Code Red' to hype inclement weather systems, if he didn't think they merited such labeling.

This weekend the weather system coming in this evening is expected to end by about 3 pm Saturday, so while there may be an unknown number of inches of snow on the ground in NYC in January [what a concept], it shouldn't prevent New Yorkers from enjoying at least part of the weekend. But that said, be advised that while the snow should end by 3 pm, the winds die down more slowly, lasting the remainder of Saturday. And these comments apply to activities within NYC [not Long Island nor New Jersey] as public transit may be used in lieu of an auto, and as of this report, the MTA has no plans of shutting down.

The weatherman mentioned in the graphic above, was fired for not distorting the truth, in a manner not unlike what one would expect at a state-controlled media outlet in Russia or China. Hyping weather systems out of proportion, like distorting the proportions of other stories, appears to be one of the Murdoch mass media trademark ploys to deceive / fear monger the viewers in order to win higher rating$$$, take control the national conversation and tip the scales in favor of the pols he favors and against those he does not.

Rupert Murdoch is an Australian born billionaire press lord who controls about half of America's daily national news media including Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St. Journal and increasingly ABC News where he and two funds control about a quarter of that company's shares.

 

While Weather Sensationalism is Dishonest Truth Distortion, it's Relatively Harmless vis a vis Most Other News Distortions which can be Dangerous to Democracy

nyc things to do this weekend nyc events manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island things to do events this weekend nycIn Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described, "Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy" because of Murdoch media news omissions and distortions.

And in Britain, a Spring 2012 Parliamentary Report stated that, [Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company] because his company broke the law by tapping British citizens' private phones to get racy stories and the details of their personal tragedies in order to generate higher ratings and sell more newspapers. Murdoch denied he knew anything, blamed his underlings and then reportedly Murdoch's [Fox] Newscorp spent $1.6 BILLION in legal fees and payouts - TO DEFEND THEIR INNOCENCE?

In the graphic at right is a July 28, 2011 Guardian report stating that people working for Murdoch's company were believed to have hacked the phone of Sara Payne to publish her anguish over her daughter's murder at the hands of a pedophile. Murdoch reportedly spent $1.6 billion in settlements and legal fees to extricate the company and its officers from the corruption and scandal. But money can't buy Murdoch out of what Newscorp's actions say about his and his companies' moral compass.


Was the Staten Island Ferry Sale a Joke?

Did You Hear the One about a Staten Island Ferry, Two Comedians, an Architect & a Night Club Owner?

nyc news briefs nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island news briefs nycUpdated January 26 from 1/24/2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC News / Staten Buzz NYC.

Weather. The temperature highs will be within about 5 degrees of 30 throughout the week, except on Tuesday when it will be in the low 40's. The temperature lows will be between 20 and 30 degrees, except on Wednesday, when it will drop to 12 degrees. The winds will be 5 - 10 mph Monday & Tuesday, rising to 10 - 15 mph on Wednesday, before falling back to 5 - 10 mph Thursday & Friday. Humidity will be 50% - 70% on Monday, dropping to 50% - 60% on Tuesday, and then 40% - 50% on Wednesday & Thursday, before rising back to 50% - 70% on Friday. No precipitation is in the forecast until Friday afternoon / evening at which time it looks like we're going to get several or more inches of snow.

 

As the new year begins to unfold, we encounter a mixed bag of news that has already made it out onto the public stage. Let's start with the purchase of a de-commissioned Staten Island Ferry, the JFK. The photo above right was taken in January 2020, likely near the end of the JFK's life of ferrying passengers to and from Staten Island. You can see the 'JFK' in the upper right corner of the photo below the black circle and with a bit of glare obfuscating part of the 'F'.

 

They may be Laughing Now, but ...

SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost, Architect Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano and Night Club Owner Paul Italia Buy the JFK Staten Island Ferry Boat

nyc news briefs nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island news briefs nycLast week, after several rounds of bidding, a consortium of investors, including SNL Comedians Pete Davidson & Colin Jost; Architect, Developer & Contractor Ron Castellano; and Night Club Owner Paul Italia purchased a 2,100 ton de-commissioned Staten Island ferry boat - the JFK - for $280,100. The purchase prices was only $100 above the next nearest bid, after the price doubled during the bidding process - up from $125,000 - after the starting bid had to be lowered from $250,000 because of a lack of early interest.

At right are Pete Davidson [left] and Colin Jost [right] announcing their new acquisition on SNL's News update. This project is likely to get a fair amount of publicity given the fame of these two owners and Jost's famous wife and Davidson's famous girlfriend.


News Updates - De Blasio Announcement & NYC Crime Stats 2021

De Blasio Decides Not to Run for NYS Governor, Hochul's Fundraising Haul, NYC Violent Crime Up Slightly in 2021, but NYC Homicides Still Below the National Average & To Be or Not To Be - do we want to Politicize the Guns / Violent Crime Problem or Solve it?

government politics crime nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island government politics crime nycJanuary 18, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This morning, January 18, 2022, former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that he will not seek the Governor's office on Twitter.

De Blasio mentioned some of his accomplishments during his eight years as Mayor including Universal Pre-K, building hundreds of thousands affordable housing units, implementing some police reforms at the NYPD to make policing fairer, and efforts to transition NYC to cleaner energy. He didn't say what his future plans were, only that he would be announcing them from his neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Governor Kathy Hochul is well positioned for the NYS Governors race this year. Hochul received the very early endorsement of the NYS Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs in October of 2021, and has raised $21.6 million since she announced her candidacy in August of 2021. It's a record for the five month period, and about the same amount of money that former Governor Andrew Cuomo had to ward off challengers in 2018. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and 3rd District [Nassau County] Congressman Thomas Suozzi have announced their candidacies. In December of 2021, Attorney General Letitia James withdrew her candidacy, in favor of running for reelection in her current post.

On the Republican side of the race there's former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who is running against newcomer Andrew Giuliani, who's primary claim to fame is that he is the son of Rudy, the former NYC Mayor with the same surname and Lee Zeldin, a Congressman from Long Island.

In fundraising as well as in polling, Hochul seems to have all the advantages at this point in the campaign. Her nearest competitor in polling recently done by Siena would have been de Blasio, who had 12% of the vote versus Hochul's 46%. NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was next with 11% and Suozzi with 6%. The Suozzi campaign has about $5 million in campaign funding, $2 million of which was transferred from his congressional campaign. Republican Astorino has about $1.3 million, and none of the other contestants released their funding.

A number of snide comments were made in the wake of Hochul's record haul and competitive fundraising position for the upcoming June primary. She was compared to Cuomo with allusions to the possibility of corruption, but nothing specific was provided to support those insinuations.

De Blasio's announcement came as I was working on an update report on NYC crime. Unfortunately, the NYPD doesn't publish a December monthly report, like they do every other month, so it's more challenging to do a year end tally. Hence, this report won't be as comprehensive as some of the others I've done the past couple of years, and will instead focus mostly on shootings and the murder rate.

 

NYC Crime Statistics for 2021

Thefts Down Significantly / Murders Up Slightly & Still Below the National Average / Most Other Crimes up in Low to Mid Single Digits with Some Exceptions ...

government politics crime nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island government politics crime nycThe outlier in the year end crime stats, which were up slightly from 2020, was that thefts were down almost 19%. This may have something to do with the fact that fewer people are out and about, so thieves have fewer to prey upon and the victims have fewer distractions and events where thefts may occur.

As for other salient changes in the main categories, Grand Larceny was up about 12% while Grand Larceny Auto was up 14%, Other (than rape) Sex Crimes were up 30%, Misdemeanour Assault was up 10%, and Hate Crimes were up 93%. It's worth noting that only murders and hate crimes are counted in the hundreds - not thousands.

The murders in NYC were up slightly in 2021 versus 2020. Note that the graph at right is for the entire nation and in 2020 - not 2021. The purpose is so that you can have context in evaluating where we are and what's going on.

In 2021 the preliminary murder rate in the U.S. was about 6.6 per 100,000 people [21,750 / 330M], while the murder rate in NYC was 5.5 per 100,000 people [485 / 8.8M]. Prior to the pandemic, in 2018, the murder rate in the U.S. was 4.96 per 100,000 people [WorldPopulationReview.com], and the murder rate in NYC was 289 victims [8.4M population] or 3.4 per 100,000 people, which was the lowest on record. In 2012, during former Mayor Bloomberg's last year as NYC Mayor, the murder rate had fallen to 414 [8.2M] or about 5.0 per 100,000 people.

So with our larger population [8.8M vs 8.2M], NYC experienced a bit higher murder rate in former Mayor de Blasio's last year in office, versus former Mayor Bloomberg's last year in office. And for de Blasio this was in the midst of the pandemic amid record gun sales.


The Great Supply Chain Crisis 2021: Hype vs Reality

TV & Murdoch News Sensationalized the Great Supply Chain Crisis of 2021 - Telling us for Months on End No Pumpkins for Halloween, No Turkeys for Thanksgiving, No Trees for Christmas & No Cream Cheese in NYC

But How Much of that Hyping was a Murdoch Inspired Perspective in Pursuit of Political Profit & Fear Mongering Ratings at the Expense of Reporting What's Really Happening?

murdoch manipulative media wsj abc news ny post fox news murdoch manipulates by omission distortion outright liesJanuary 3, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The closer I pay attention to what's happening in our mass media, the more concerned I get. Nearly half of our daily nationally branded news media is controlled by one man, Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch - who strikes me as either a sociopath or psychopath. Based on the seven years I've been covering Murdoch, it appears as if he doesn't care about anything other than enriching and empowering himself, even at 90 years of age [his mother lived to 103 so he's likely going to be with us for a while].

 

What Those Who Know Murdoch Say About Him

In Australia - where Murdoch has been operating all his life - former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described,

"Murdoch's media empire as a cancer on democracy".

And in Britain, a Parliamentary Report stated that,

[Murdoch] "was not a fit person" to exercise stewardship of a major international company].

Keith Rupert Murdoch, controls the Wall St. Journal, Fox News, the NY Post, Harper Collins Publishing, MarketWatch, Barrons - and along with two of Fox News largest shareholders - Murdoch appears to have a controlling interest in Disney / ABC by virtue of what seems his proximity to their relatively new CEO. Murdoch's influence appears to be manifesting itself in personnel moves being made since he became one of their largest shareholders in March of 2019. The personnel moves are in their news and related programming areas, and ultimately impact what ABC News presents to the public. I just witnessed one of many subtle changes on Sunday, while watching This Week with George Stephanopolous. I'll say more about this at the end of this report.

Fox News Lyin' Laura Ingraham, earned that moniker, as you can see in the image above. Fox News has repeatedly used misleading photos and images to lend deceptive and misleading support to their news accounts, which appear designed to influence the unaware and low information voters, in order to get them to vote for billionaire Murdoch's favored pols and against the very government officials who are trying to help the manipulated victims.


New Years Resolutions 2022: The Road Ahead

A Few Axioms To Keep In Mind Throughout The New Year

new years resolutions nyc nys 202January 1, 2022 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Holidays / Gotham Buzz NYC.

For all of us, today starts the beginning of a new year.

If we stay the course with vaccinations, masks, social distancing and hand washing, we should be able to make the transition from pandemic to endemic - at which point things begin to really change to a better normal, but likely not back to a pre-CoVid normal.

A year ago I thought by now we would have mostly normalized, but I had failed to take into consideration the significant resistance to vaccinations by the people who rely upon Rupert Murdoch's overwhelming share of nationally branded daily mass media 'news'.

Rupert Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and he, along with the two largest investment groups owning Fox, control Disney / ABC News. So that's half of U.S. network news and two the largest daily newspapers in the nation. He controls other media outlets as well, like MarketWatch and Barron's and Harper Collins Publishing, but the first four mentioned above are instrumental in shaping Americans' view of things. And the unsuspecting members of Murdoch's audience aren't aware enough, nor paying attention enough, nor educated enough to detect the very sophisticated news manipulations that Murdoch and his minions seem to do every day to sculpt and present the reality they want their viewers to see - which is not reality at all, but a VoldeMurdoch version of it.

Other media outlets and moderate Republicans and pretty much all Democrats need to start calling Murdoch out into the public space so people can see who he is and what he does and what he takes in exchange for it. They need to do it, because regardless of whether they do or not, Murdoch's incessant media attacks will keep coming, so by not addressing him and it, they are only aiding and abetting it, like all those who let Goebbels do the same in Germany in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's.

The rest of this report is about some of the things you can do personally - not politically - to make 2022 a better year for you.


Omicron, CoVid, Omicron, CoVid ... STOP

NYC News Update With as little CoVid Omicron Specific Info as Possible

This Report includes the Over Hyped 'Supply Chain Xmas Tree Shortage', Broadway Show Cancellations & Postponements & Economic Impact, MTA Subway Trains & Airline Flights Cancellations due to Staffing Outages, the Tug of War between Office Workers & their Companies, JFK getting New Terminals & Staten Island getting New Ferries

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochDecember 27, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Weather. Temperature highs are between 40 and 50 degrees each day, and the lows are about 40 each day. Humidity will be between 60% - 80% all week. And the wind will be fairly steady at 5 - 10 mph daily. There's a chance of showers around 8 pm tonight and a chance of a tenth inch of rain on each day - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Given the low amount of precipitation and that it's spread out over the entire day, each day, I'd say your chances of getting very wet are pretty slim.

 

CoVid, CoVid, CoVid ... How We Moved Beyond it as a Conversation Centerpiece at an Xmas Party

So I attended a Christmas party a couple of weekends ago, and at one point someone asked is there anything else to talk about besides CoVid? This was near the end of the party, so there were only about a dozen of us there. So, someone asked, how about those Nets? And of course, Kylie Irving soon came up, and his anti-vax stance on CoVid, and that the Nets had to postpone a number of games because of ... CoVid.

Someone else asked, whose traveling for the holidays? As you can imagine, it wasn't long before CoVid came up and how it was going to affect everyones' holiday travel plans. Another asked, whether people were going to see their kids over the holidays. And of course, the discussion about vaccinations, testing and masks ensued. And then someone asked about gifts being given this season, and eventually the impact of CoVid on shipping and supply chain ensued. How about going out to dinner ... and so forth.

Actually, it turned out to be kind of funny, in an ironic sort of way, as the pandemic was still touching most parts of people's lives.

But the good news is that we eventually did move on past CoVid. Onto what? Well that's personal and thus not going to be shared here publicly, but we did eventually make it past the CoVid goal line ... but it wasn't as easy as one would think it should have been.

So the rest of this report is going to be about other things affecting our life, but recognizing that the pandemic and our community health affects just about everything else.

 

How Real was the TV News Hyped Supply Chain & Xmas Tree Shortage?

Retail Sales Hit a Level Not seen in 17 Years in Spite of "No Supply"?

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochHow is it that network TV news, still a primary source of information in this nation - and the only source by many of the uneducated - can get a story so wrong?

For months they've been hyping the SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE, SUPPLY CHAIN SHORTAGE. I've seen little on TV news saying anything else to the contrary, and yet somehow, retailers magically had the best holiday sales season in 17 years, with department store sales up 21% [that's huge] and online sales up 8% [also very solid performance].

Did retailers MAGICALLY turn in their best performance in 17 years without any inventory? Come on.

People need to start questioning the information they get on TV, because too often, it's so distorted in order to generate an emotional or fearful response that's good for ratings and profit - but not in the public interest.

A December 26, 2021 report in Politico provided the following update on retail sales,

"... By category, clothing rose 47%, jewelry 32%, electronics 16%. Online sales were up 11% from a year ago and 61% from 2019. Department stores registered a 21% increase over 2020 ..."


Omicron Sweeps NYC & the Rest of the U.S.

NYS Hit its Highest Number of New Cases Friday 12.17.21, Omicron Now Dominant Strain in America [73%], Breakthrough Infections & Need for Boosters, Multiple Measures of Vaccine Effectiveness, NYS Governor Hochul Foreshadows Change to Definition of Fully Vaccinated Likely Coming Soon, NYC Mayor de Blasio Offers $100 to those who Boost Before Year End, False Positives Coming from Some Testing Kits, Hospitalizations Trending Toward Younger Age Groups & Kids Getting Infected at Higher Rates

It's Not the Omicron Virus that is Dividing Us. It's the Manipulative Murdoch Mass Media, that Continually Misinforms its Audiences. The Highly Paid Propagandists do This in Order Enrich Themselves & Empower the 90 Year Old Multi-Billionaire by Undermining the Government Officials who Won't Give Rupert what he wants out of the Public Purse & Domain

December 20, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So the Omicron variant represents the third wave of Corona Virus sweeping the land. First it was the original CoVid 19, then the Delta variant and now Omicron.

The Omicon variant spreads far more easily and hence far faster than the prior two variants, which spread around the globe in a matter of months. Omicron is beating them hands down in terms of spreading, even in nations that have some good measure of vaccinations - but nowhere near the two thirds plus needed for 'herd immunity'. Reportedly, the Omicron is spreading 2x to 4x faster than the Delta variant which reportedly spread faster [by about 50%] than the original strain of CoVid. As of the last week of testing, Omicron represents 73% of all new cases in the U.S.

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochIn the graphic at right you see a headline from FT, which is the Financial Times of London, noting how something that should be common sense has become a political hot potato. At the end of this update on the Omicron variant, we'll take a look at how science and the truth are being distorted by millionaires and billionaire(s) in what appears an attempt to manipulate voters perceptions. The goal is to change the perceptions of their viewers enough, so their viewers will vote for the candidates chosen by the propaganda billionaire and his friends. The end game is, of course, getting the billionaire / propaganda machine selected pols into office, so they can fill their pockets with the taxpayers' money, and obtain legislative changes that are anti-democratic.

Oftentimes reports like that found in the Financial Times fail miserably to call out media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who controls an overwhelming share of the daily national news media in the U.S., Britain and Australia. For my money, Murdoch [not Trump] is the root cause of so many of our current problems by virtue of the disinformation he spreads, which is inserted into many of the news reports that his organizations deliver to well over a hundred million people each day. Murdoch hides behind his media brands, propagandists and favored pols, while the other media and government officials seem either: 1) ignorant of his incredible influence on our daily news, and thus a huge swath of American people's views, or 2) are unwilling to do the right thing and call Murdoch out into the open so the public can get a closer look at who's dominating the national conversation.

The last point made is an important one for the Smartmatic and Dominion Voting Systems lawsuits [more on this below]. My advice to their attorneys, is to hire a great public relations firm to publicize the hell out of each case, making damned sure to include Keith Rupert Murdoch in EVERY news release / update as the slithery Murdoch - like Voldemort in Harry Potter - doesn't like the light of day. And then ride the case to the end, because you're in the right, and what you're fighting for is - in part - the heart and soul of America.

 

NYS Sees its Highest Number of Daily New CoVid Cases Since Pandemic Began

In NYC New Infections Double in 3 Days & in the U.S. Omicron is now 73% of New Cases

fox fake news disinformation about covid delta omicron fox manipulative media murdochA testament to the Omicron variants transmissibility is that on Friday, December 17, 2021 NYS saw its highest number of new CoVid cases [21,027] in a single day since the pandemic began according to an New York Times report. In NYC the infection rate nearly doubled in just three days, rising from 3.9% to 7.8% from Thursday, December 9 to December 12, 2021 according to a December 16, 2021 NBC report.

I checked the NYC website a couple of weeks ago and found the chart at right, which - to my surprise - showed Whites as the second slowest group to vaccinate. Hispanics were a full ten percentage points ahead of them, and African Americans were only three percentage points behind them. I interpret this as the power of Murdoch's media in NYC as he owns / controls Fox News on WNYW [channel 5], WWOR [channel 9], the NY Post, and the Wall Street Journal.


2ND HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the second half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see second half of December 2021 weekend reports.


1st HALF DECEMBER WEEKEND THINGS TO DO NYC

This section contains our Weekend Things To Do reports for the first half of the month of December 2021. Click into this link to see all November 2021 weekend reports.


CoVid Update – Omicron Variant, Vax Updates, Vax Boosters, Vax Kids & Manipulative NYC Based Disinformation Sources

December 6, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Social Issues Health News / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

omicron in nyc nys omicron variant of corona virus in nyc kids vaccinations booster vaccinations nyc manhattan brooklyn bronx queens staten island nyc murdoch disinformation on covid vaccination mandates in nyc fox news ny postThe first Omicron virus case was first detected on November 8, 2021 in South Africa.  The first case detected in the U.S. was in San Francisco on November 22, 2021.  Four days later, on November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization [WHO] designated Omicron a CoVid variant [B1.1.529].  As of December 5, 2021 there were eight Omicron cases in NYS, most of which were found in NYC.

Early Precautions in the Face of Omicron’s Rapid Spread

On November 26, 2021, President Biden instituted a temporary travel ban on South Africa and neighboring countries including, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.  He also shortened the CoVid testing time from three to one days, for those traveling internationally. The passenger must test negative for CoVid. And he extended the mask mandate for those using public transit domestically to March 15, 2021.

The reason for taking these early immediate precautions is that the Omicron variant appears to be spreading at twice the rate of the Delta variant, which overwhelmed this nation within about 3 - 4 months [May - August 2021].

The Omicron variant was also detected in Belgium, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia and Israel at the time the news broke regarding the rapid spread of the new variant at the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday.  As of this writing the Omicron variant has been found in 15 states including, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin, according to a Reuters tally on December 5, 2021.

Vaccine Efficacy vis a vis Omicron Variant

The Omicron variant is known to be more transmissible, but it’s health impact is still being studied.  Most of those who contracted the Omicron variant had been vaccinated, and hence it is believed that most suffered fairly mild symptoms because they had CoVid antibodies in their systems. By the end of this week [12/10/21] or sometime the following week, early test results on vaccine efficacy vis a vis Omicron are expected.

One health official noted that efficacy isn’t measured as a simple yes or no, but rather in degrees.  The strongest efficacy prevents one from catching the virus, the medium measure of efficacy is how troublesome the symptoms - ranging from mild to hospitalization, and the weakest efficacy – meaning no efficacy is death.

CoVid prognosticators believe that the current vaccines will continue to offer some measure of protection / efficacy, but they caution that at some point it may be necessary to create a separate vaccine for new CoVid variants.


*** 5 Boros WS Update



Eric Adams Wins in Landslide Defeating Sliwa by More than 2:1

Republican Voter Turnout Was Strong on Long Island, but not in NYC

November 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Moderate Democrat Eric Adams sailed to victory Tuesday to become NYC's second African American Mayor. Democrat David Dinkins was the first. With 78% of the precincts reporting Adams won 676,481 votes to Sliwa's 293,127.

Democrat Jumaane Williams was re-elected Public Advocate, garnering 598,810 votes which was nearly 69% of the total, with 93% of the scanners reporting.

Progressive Democrat Brad Lander won the NYC Comptroller position, winning 604,000 of the votes, or 70% of the vote with 93% of the scanners counted.

And Democrat Alvin Bragg won the Manhattan District Attorney office, garnering 183,000 votes or 83% of the total.

Four of the five Borough Presidencies were won by Democrats. In Manhattan Mark Levine handily won the borough presidency with 181,000 votes or 85% of the total, with 93% of scanners counted. In Queens Donovan Richards handily won re-election, winning 160,000 votes or 66% of the total, with 79% of the precincts reporting. In Brooklyn Antonio Reynoso also won handily, winning 217,000 votes or 73% of the total, with 78% of the precincts reporting. In the Bronx Vanessa Gibson took in 80,000 votes which was 80% of the total, with 72% of the precincts reporting.

And on Staten Island, the only Republican to win a Borough Presidency, Vito Fossella, won 60,000 votes or 60% of the total, with 87% of the precincts reporting.


astoria realtors


The Nature of Democracy is Compromise

How Else Would a Majority of 330 Million People Get Agreement on Anything?

September 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

There are a couple of important legislative bills being debated in the House and Senate. On the one hand you have the Progressive Caucus threatening to hold, or even kill, the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in the Senate. And on the other you have a couple of Democratic Senators withholding their votes on passing the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill.

Trump left office leaving a multi-trillion dollar deficit in 2020, and the same is expected to occur this year, regardless of the votes on the pending bills. If both bills pass, these huge deficits could spell significant trouble for American business, the economy and the people employed by them by virtue of impacting the trading rate for our currency vis a vis other currencies around the world. The combination of these bills could significantly devalue the purchasing power of the dollar.

If neither bill passes, Biden along with EVERY OTHER Democrat, would be negatively impacted. By possibly failing to pass at least one of the measures, while holding majorities in both chambers, the Democrats would leave themselves wide open to the opposition labeling them "Do Nothing Democrats". And you can be sure that Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, NY Post, Wall St Journal and ABC News would not let that opportunity slip by unheralded, unhyped and unsensationalized by his plethora of putrid propagandists.

There comes a time when one must step back and see the bigger picture. And at present, the bigger picture is that the Democrats can score a BIG WIN, by passing the Infrastructure Bill - as that can be a rallying cry for them in the 2022 midterms and beyond. In passing the Infrastructure Bill, Biden and the Democrats would have accomplished something that President Trump and the Republicans failed to do, with even bigger majorities in both chambers.

It would be very sad, to see the Democrats let this opportunity slip away, because they fail to do what American legislators have done beginning with the inception of the republic - which is to compromise in order to get something done. We are at an important inflection point, voters, so pay heed to who votes which way, so that in 2022 and beyond, you'll know who is so uncompromising, that they will never get anything done.

Senator Bernie Sanders' legislative record is a case in point. In March of 2020, I did a story that, in part, focused on Sanders' legislative record, which was abysmal. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' legislative record where no legislation of any significance was passed.

I like Bernie, and in 2016 found his candidacy to be of great interest. I think he's an important player in politics in our day, and continues to play an important role in the national conversation. But that said, the reason Biden won out for the presidency, is that Sanders has never achieved anything legislatively. Click here for our report on Senator Sanders' candidacy for president in 2016.


Economic Snapshot NYC & US

In spite of Non-Vaxers’ Negative Impact on the Recovery, Generally the Economy Appear to be Steadily Improving

things to do this weekend nycSeptember 21, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Business & Economy / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

It’s been a while since I have done an economic update, and as we head into the Fall, it seems a good time to look through the tea leaves to figure out where we are and what risks lie ahead between now and the New Year.

The graph at right, created by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, shows employment in the U.S. from 1940 to date. To the far right of the graph, you can see the huge dip in employment in the Spring of 2020, as the pandemic hit. Since then U.S. employment has recovered, but not yet completely.

Unemployment Back to Normal Levels & Stimulus Winding Down

Unemployment continues to decline, and the unemployment rate reflects a growing economy and a tight labor market. One debated theory about the tight labor market, is that it was fueled in part by some of the generous government spending programs, designed to cushion folks from the pandemic, which some believed kept workers out of the employment market. As of this posting, we’ve not seen any good study that proves or disproves that hypothesis. So for now, I recommend you consider that hearsay, at least until you or I find one or more reliable studies that proves or disproves that hypothesis.

In any event, a good measure of both the federal and states stimulus programs have begun to wind down. Beginning in late Spring / early Summer, both states and the federal government began reducing or withdrawing the funding for extra [federal] and extended [states] unemployment benefits.


NYC & NYS Continue to Have Lower Murder Rates Than the Rest of the Nation

The Past Couple of Months, NYC Murders have been Below 2019 Levels, and NYC Shootings are Down Double Digits versus 2020, While Gun Arrests Have Doubled vs 2020

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycAugust 31, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Crime & Law Enforcement / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This is news you're not likely to find in Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch's NY Post, Wall St. Journal nor Fox News because it doesn't fit with Murdoch's self-enriching, propagandistic narratives of blaming Democrats for the increase in violent / gun crimes. He appears to use such narratives to get the politicians who will give him tax breaks, and allow him to continue deregulating his industries, so he can make ever more money at the expense of American Democracy.

The NYPD has been working hard to rein in the out-of-control sales and trafficking of guns in the nation, because of the absence of an intelligent debate on national gun control legislation to combat the growing gun violence, and in particular the mass shootings, that started rising again during the Trump Administration and continued rising in the wake of the CoVid pandemic.

 

Year To Date Murders in NYC are Below the National Average & Have Begun Falling Versus 2020

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycSo we're going to take a look at a number of the NYC crime statistics, and then follow up with an analytical look at some of the issues driving gun related violence, before closing with a look at the distorted, deceitful and destructive coverage provided by Murdoch's Fox News & Propaganda.

As you can see by the chart at right, with the exception of GLA or Grand Larceny Auto and YTD / Year To Date Shootings, all NYC crime is either in the single digits or down, versus last year. It's important to note however, that in July shootings dropped by 35% versus prior year [up 17% YTD], while gun arrests were up 134% versus the prior year [up 68% YTD], so the NYPD continues to make good progress in this regard. And murders were down 49% in July versus prior year and down 10% year to date.

The chart at right shows the NYPD Crime statistics for the month of July 2021 and Year To Date 2021. I have also included comparisons to 2019 as 2020 was an unusual year all the way around - including for NYC crime.

 

The Iron Pipeline - Interstate 95 - is used to Transport Guns from Primarily Red Republican States with Lax Gun Laws

nyc crime statistics nyc murders nyc manhattan bronx queens brooklyn staten island violent crime in nycThe graphic at right shows what is called the 'Iron Pipeline' which is Interestate 95 which runs from New York to Florida. This interestate highway is used to transport guns / weapons across state lines from mostly red Republican controlled states with lax gun control laws to blue states that have passed stronger gun control laws.

Once the guns arrive here, they are illegally sold and are the root of the gun violence and murder problem in New York City and New York State. Thankfully, Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner Shea and the NYPD are on top of things, and have been working hard to rein in the problem, even in the absense of national legislative help.

I think President Biden should look into the possibility of using federal powers regulating interstate commerce, to curtail the transport and sale of guns into states that have tighter regulatory frameworks surrounding the sale of murder weapons. And perhaps the district attorneys in our city and state should consider naming the people who sell these guns, as accessories or even accomplices, to the crimes committed with them.


Next Gen & CoVid - Still the Talk of the Town

This Report Provides an Update on Why the Downward Trend in CoVid Infections Swung Back Up, the Science Behind the Vaccine Breakthrough Infections, the Lamda & Delta Variants, the Precautionary Wisdom of Continuing to Wear Masks & the Impact of Murdoch Controlled News Outlets Continuous Stream of Mass Media Disinformation

Is it the Patriotic Duty of Every Eligible American to Get Vaccinated?

covid pandemic nyc delta variant covid in nyc brooklyn bronx staten island queens manhattan covid nycAugust 9, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC during the CoVid Pandemic / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I reckon we all wish it weren't so, but CoVid 19 has been resurging with a vengeance these past couple of months, fueled largely by the Delta variant, which at the beginning of May 2021, accounted for less than 10% of U.S. new cases, while today it accounts for more than 90% of all new U.S. CoVid infections. What's most disturbing about this new trend is that even fully vaccinated people can catch the Delta variant, which was largely NOT the case with the original strain [alpha] of CoVid. The infections that are picked up by fully vaccinated people are called 'breakthrough' infections, because they have broken through the immunity protection provided by the vaccines.

In the graphic at right, note the large light blue at the right of the graphic, which denoted the Delta variant of CoVid which grew from almost nothing in May, to almost every new CoVid case in the U.S. in August.

 

The Delta Variant has Changed So Significantly, Hence the New CoVid Reign of Terror

covid pandemic nyc delta variant covid in nyc brooklyn bronx staten island queens manhattan covid nycI found a chart that I found of great interest in an August 5, 2021 story in the Gothamist, which was acquired by NPR in 2018. The chart shows how the original CoVid is almost non-existent in the U.S. today, while the Delta variant has risen to represent over 90% of all new cases.

 

The vaccines were developed to address the original CoVid stain, as the Delta variant - as noted above - didn't become a real factor until about May of this year. Thus, the vaccines efficacy in preventing CoVid has been significantly reduced, but thankfully the vaccines are still very effective in preventing the worst possible outcomes which are hospitalizations and death.


A Look Back at the NYC Municipal Primary Election Results of 2021

Females Won Big, But Because of Ranked Choice Voting, the Results Trickled in Over the Past Month, & Real Assessments of the Changed Landscape have yet to Follow

things to do this weekend in nyc things to do in manhattan brooklyn. queens bronx staten island nyc things to do over the weekend nycAugust 3, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Government & Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The June 22nd election primary for NYC municipal offices has long passed, but a solid look at the overall results of the election has not yet followed. What I will attempt to do today, is to offer provide a top down summary of the results, along with some interpretation of what this means going forward.

 

Women Won Big in the New York City Council Democratic Primaries

One of the biggest changes to municipal government likely to occur following the November election is that the NYC Council will move from less than a third women, to over half women for the first time in NYC history. This assumes most or all of the Democrats win their seats in the general election. This usually happens in a heavily blue state like New York, just as Republican primary winners in Alabama become the likely winners of the general election in that heavily red state. Somewhere between 29 and 31 of the Democratic primary winners in the NYC Council races were women out of a 51 member municipal legislative body.


CoVid NYC Economic Update

NYC Hotels, Restaurants & Entertainment Continue to Feel the CoVid Pain, Also Real Estate & Construction but Less so, and Things Should Gradually Improve in 2021

things to do nyc things to do manhattan queens bronx brooklyn staten island things to do nycNovember 16, 2020 / NYC Neighborhoods / Business & Real Estate NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

CoVid & Donald Continue Raging

So the CoVid pandemic is raging wildly in the nation, while the Demento in the White House is raging with reckless false claims about the 'rigged election'. The Donald also made these same false claims four years ago, when he won the electoral college contest, but failed to win the popular vote.

This time America's biggest loser lost both the electoral college vote contest and popular vote [by nearly six million], but the fraudster President has found his false claims of a stolen election, is a great way to raise funds from our nation's morons, who somehow still believe his lies. As the saying goes,

"We're all born ignorant. But you have to try really, really hard to remain so."

I consider Donald Trump losing the White House, to be the one silver lining coming out of the CoVid pandemic.

Meanwhile back in NYC, we continue to fare far better than the rest of the nation vis a vis CoVid, perhaps having learned our lessons last Spring. When I look at the CoVid map of the United States, I'm beginning to interpret it as a sort of national I.Q. test. Those places where it's raging most - almost a year since the pandora came out of the box - are states with slow learning media, slow learning government officials and slow learning populations. Otherwise, why would CoVid be raging again, after all that we have learned in the past year?


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ART

Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island

69th Annual Art Show Organized by the Staten Island Museum

October 1, 2019 / Randall Manor Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the 69th Annual Snug Harbor Fence Show on Staten Island on Saturday. The show included about 150 exhibiting artists, primarily from Staten Island, but also neighboring NYC boroughs and New Jersey. There were food and beverage vendors, an accomplished jazz group - the Musical Chairs Chamber Ensemble - as well as plenty of interesting artworks that ranged from ceramics, to clothing and jewelry, to all sorts of art on canvass and other materials. The crowd the show attracted was also an eclectic group of art lovers, art exhibitors and curious Staten Islanders [it's free admission]. See video to take in a couple of minutes of the ambiance of the show.


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SPORTS

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 RESTAURANTS




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SHOP

NYC Farmers Markets & Street Fairs NYC

Brooklyn, Staten Island Farmers Markets & Street Fairs as Well as Queens, Bronx & Manhattan

street fairs brooklyn nycMarch 23, 2019 / Staten Island Famers Markets / Brooklyn Farmers Markets / Brooklyn Street Fairs / Staten Island St Fairs / Gotham Buzz NYC.

A few Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets may be open year round, but most of them are seasonal. Some of the seasonal Staten Island & Brooklyn farmers markets usually begin opening in May, with the rest of them opening in June or no later than the first couple of weeks in July. Click here to view the schedules of many of the farmers markets in Brooklyn and here for the farmers markets in Staten Island.

Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs, on the other hand, are entirely seasonal. Some of them hit the streets as early as April. The number of Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs rises during the late spring and continues through the dog days of summer [July / August], including into the late part of the Fall. By late October / the end of November the Staten Island & Brooklyn street fairs go on hiatus, with a few returning as early as April. Click here to view a full schedule of the Brooklyn street fairs and also Staten Island street fairs.


NYC Farmers Markets 2021

Year Round Farmers Markets in NYC Continue & New Season Beckons

nyc farmers markets nyc farmers markets green markets 2021 nycMarch 5, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / Things To Do NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

We're only a week away from Daylight Savings Time, when we all spring ahead into longer days, where the sun doesn't depart until around 7 pm.

The J&J vaccine was approved last Saturday, February 27, 2021 and already millions of doses have been distributed. While the vaccine was proven to be somewhere between 72% - 85% effective in providing total protection, it was found to be 100% effective against hospitalizations and deaths.

As the J&J vaccine was tested after the stronger mutating CoVid variants started appearing, the effectiveness percent vis a vis the other vaccines might not be apples to apples. And what's more is that it requires only a single dose, no highly sophisticated storage requirements, and can be quickly manufactured.

So things are looking up. Last year farmers markets were classified as essential businesses and while many remained open, they curtailed hours and some went on hiatus. The following is an update for the 2021 season of NYC farmers markets dates / times and selections. We'll update again as we near the opening of the first wave of seasonal markets in May. In the meantime here's a guide to farmers markets, including those that are open year round, by NYC borough. Remember masks, social distancing and hands washing are required. Enjoy.

Bronx Farmers Markets NYC

Brooklyn Farmers Markets NYC

Manhattan Farmers Markets NYC

Queens Farmers Markets NYC

Staten Island Farmers Markets NYC


Click here for Brooklyn tile stores.


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HOLIDAYS PRDS HOTELS





Things To Do Presidents Day Weekend NYC

UPDATED FOR COVID 2021 - If Planning to Dine Out on Valentine's Day Better Get Moving

nyc things to do nyc things to do this weekend nycFebruary 9, 2021 / Things To Do NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

This weekend is Presidents Day Weekend. For many, not all, it's a three day weekend. This means the Post Office and most federal, state and oftentimes municipal offices are also closed.

As of this posting the Presidents Day Weekend Weather. The Temperature highs will be around 30 throughout the three day weekend beginning on Friday, dropping to the high teens nightly, except on Saturday when the low temperature will also be around 30. Precipitation - There's an 80% chance of about two inches of snow late Saturday / early Sunday morning as of this post. Winds will be relatively stable hovering around the 10 mph range throughout the long weekend. The Humidity will range between 60% - 75% throughout the weekend. Click for NYC Weather.

 

A Few Valentines Day / Presidents Day News Items - Indoor Dining Resumes, Folks with Co-Morbidities become Vaccine Eligible, Vaccine Production & 2nd Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Today

Governor Cuomo announced that indoor dining in NYC resumes on Friday, February 2, 2021 at 25% capacity. NYS positivity rate is about 4%, while the NYC positivity rate is about 8% - but both have been declining since the Thanksgiving / Christmas / New Year surge began in late November / early December of 2020.

This past weekend, Governor Cuomo announced that folks with CoVid comorbidities will be eligible to receive vaccinations effective Monday, February 15, 2021. According to the Governor's website, the CoVid co-morbidities [say that fast five times] include the following:

"... Cancer, Chronic Kidney Disease, Pulmonary Disease, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Heart Conditions, Immunocompromised State, Severe Obesity, Pregnancy, Sickle Cell Disease or Thalassemia, Type 1 or 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cerebrovascular Disease, Neurologic Conditions and Liver Disease Will Be Eligible ..."

Vaccine production for the U.S. is nearing the 1.5 million doses daily required to meet Biden’s upwardly mobile 100 million vaccinations in the Biden Administration's first 100 days. As of this writing about 10% of all New Yorkers as well as 10% of all Americans have received at least one CoVid vaccination dose.

 

Trump's Failed Capitol Riot of 2021 Seems Not Unlike Hitler's Failed Beer Hall Putsch of 1923

trump's beer hall putsch hitlers capitol riot trumps capitol riot hitlers beer hall putschThe second Trump impeachment trial began today, Tuesday, February 9th, 2021. Generally I find the rushing of the trial to be an insult to the American people, and the U.S. Constitution philosophies of due process and rule of law. The government officials prosecuting and managing the trial should take all the time required to educate the American people about who Donald Trump really is - not who he says he is.

They need to use the Impeachment Trial to highlight how Trump has significantly battered our democratic processes, undermined Americans' faith in our democratic institutions, personalized the power of the presidency, breached the rule of law, and appears to have colluded with the Russians to undermine our government over the past five years. Oh, yeah, and it all culminated in that lame Capitol Riot Insurrection which was not unlike and had striking similarities to Hitlers' lame / failed Beer Hall Putsch in Germany in 1923.

things to do presidents day weekend manhattan nyc presidents day events ues uws midtown east village soho tribeca upper west side upper east side things to do presidents day weekend manhattan events presidents day weekend manhattan nyc

Ten years later Hitler rose to power as the Nazi Party leader and proceeded, like Trump did during his presidency, to usurp and personalize the power of the state thanks in part to the Goebbels / Murdoch/propaganda machines which misled the citizenry in each nation about who these two leaders were, and also victimized minorities in both nations. In the Beer Hall Putsch, 16 Nazis and four policemen died. In the Capitol Riot four Trumpsters and one policeman died.

 

Hitler was found guilty of treason following the Beer Hall Putsch, but still rose to power. Will the Senate take the precaution of sanctioning the Donald, or continue to enable the dysfunctional democracy damager - possibly destroyer?

 

Brief History of Presidents Day Holiday in NYC

bronx things to do presidents day weekend bronx presidents day weekend events bronx nycA day commemorating Lincoln's birthday was first passed in Buffalo, New York in the early 1870's. Presidents Day originated as Washington's Birthday which was a holiday narrowly prescribed for federal government offices in Washington, D.C. in 1879. The holiday was dedicated to honoring the memory of the first American president, George Washington who was born on February 22, 1732.

In 1885 the holiday was expanded to include all federal government offices around the nation. In 1951 there was a push to create a Presidents Day holiday [vs a George Washington's birthday holiday] to include President Lincoln whose birthday is February 12, 1809 and was also celebrated by localities, but it didn't pass.

In 1971 the holiday was moved off of George Washington's birth date to being the third Monday in February. Thus while it never falls upon Washington's birthday 2/22, the official name of the holiday remains Washington's Birthday. But today, most folks refer to it as Presidents Day and to recognize the presidents who honored the U.S. Constitution and served the interests of the people.

Please note that we've updated things to reflect current conditions related to the CoVid pandemic. Enjoy.


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SCHOOLS / ISSUES

The Trouble, Fear, Pain & Relief of My First CoVid Vaccination

As More New Yorkers are Vaccinated, the Pressure Grows on Those Who've Not Yet Received a Shot, Also the Role of Limiting Eligibility in Effecting a Smoothe Transition & Effective Tuesday 3/23/21 Folks Aged 50 plus Become Eligible for the CoVid Vaccination

andrew cuomo's troubles nursing homes harassment governor cuomo murdoch fox wsj ny postMarch 22, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Corona Virus / Gotham Buzz NYC.

So I've been putting off getting a CoVid vaccination ever since I became eligible earlier this year. At first I held off was because there were intermittent shortages of the vaccine, then rumors of long lines to get them, and finally I had to wrestle through the various websites offering a shot, at a time and place that 'easily' worked for me.

 

Finding a Vaccination Center Near You in NYC

But this past week I hit the proverbial CoVid vaccine jackpot, after spending what was probably a couple of hours online trying to navigate my way to an appointment. One of the issues are the numerous websites out there, offering vaccines. There's both NYC and NYS vaccinations centers and I waded through each looking for specific locations, specific vaccinations [J&J, Pfizer & Moderna] and specific times.

Let me make it simple for you, as I oftentimes ended up on this site.

https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov

 



Brooklyn Blvd


nyc politics nyc government new york city


NYC GOV

911 / The War in Afghanistan is Over - but the War on the Truth that put us there - Continues

TV News People Provided Superficial, Dimwitted, Gossipy Accounts of the Withdrawal, & Unfortunately, Far too many of the Print Reports Weren’t Much Better

September 7, 2021 / Fox News Fakes the News / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz.

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoSomehow amidst the din of Murdoch mass media hyped criticism, the real headline was buried.

"The War is Over. The Twenty Year War in Afghanistan is Over. "

 

This was one of two Murdoch Wars - So his Outlets Seemed to Disminish or Ignore the Human & Taxpayer Costs - Over 170,000 Human Lives & Over $2 Trillion and Counting - and so did the Knuckleheads at the Other News Outlets

Where are the parades? Where are the celebrations? Where are the Congressional and Senate committees and hearings to investigate how we got into the Afghanistan war in the first place? And then why we stayed so long? Who incited this war and then profited from the $2 trillion in spending that the U.S. taxpayer took out loans to pay?

About 2,461 American soldiers died in the Afghanistan War. According to an August 17, 2021 report by the Associated Press, another 3846 American contractors lost their lives, as well as 72 journalists. The Afghanis suffered significant fatalities as well, as 66,000 Afghani military and police died, 47,000 Afghani civilians and 51,000 Taliban fighters.

 

TV News Provided Scant Real Insight, Information or Understanding Surrounding America's Withdrawal from Afghanistand to the Viewer

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoIn the reporting over the past month or so I DID NOT SEE EVEN ONE REFERENCE TO THE RUSSIAN WITHDRAWAL from Afghanistan in the 1980’s. NOT ONE! Why does that matter?

Because if you’re going to evaluate how effective the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was, you MUST look at prior history, and the Russian withdrawal is the closest, realistic assessment of what the costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan could, would or should be. I watched with something bordering between disgust and horror, as the gutted out nationally branded TV ‘news’ organizations ‘informed’ the American people as to what was happening as the American withdrawal from Afghanistan took place before our eyes in real time.

 

I. The Pied Piper Framed a Dishonest & Negative Narrative about President Biden's Handling of the Withdrawal via his WSJ, then Echoed it with the Nearly Half of the Nationally Branded U.S. Daily Media he Controls, which the Lazy and / or Incompetent Competition then Parrotted

joe bidens afghanistan withdrawal was a success murdoch's fox news wsj ny post depicted it as a failure murdochs fake news afghanistan withdrawal murdoch's fox fake news about afghanistan was they told us to get intoAustralian born billionaire, Rupert Murdoch - as is too often the case - led the rest of the mindless mass media, like the Pied Piper. On August 15, 2021, the Wall St. Journal published an OpEd by the ‘Editorial Board’. The ‘Editorial Board’ appears to be the pen name of billionaire Rupert Murdoch who owns and controls the paper. The ‘Editorial Board’ said published the narrative that Biden was incompetent and had messed things up, with scant reference to history or a holistic presentation of the facts.

Ever since that narrative was published, it has been used by many of the rest of the mass media, to contextualize or frame presentations made by the corporate press in discussing the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Not everyone in the mass media was so incompetent or so lazy that they used the mendacious Murdoch’s narrative – thankfully. But eyeballing things, I’d estimate that more than half of them did. I suppose the good news is that there are still a few real, independent-minded journalists operating in our midst.

Murdoch used his Wall St. Journal brand to lead the narrative, because it has a history as a respected publication. Even though respect for the brand seems to have been diminishing ever since Murdoch’s took control of the paper in August of 2007. After the announcement many of the real journalists who could leave, did. Barron’s was included in the acquisition and remains a Murdoch brand today.


How Would a Mayor Eric Adams Govern?

He Seems to Favor Charter Schools & They Seem to Favor Him, He's Pulled in the Most Real Estate Cash & He has Indicated He'll Reverse Course a bit on Police Reform

Included in this Report is a Look at the Impact of Gun Sales on NYC Violent Crime

nyc violent crime shootings gun arrests murders nyc manhattan queens brooklyn bronx staten island gun arrests shootings murders nyc crime stats 2020May 17, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

 

Eric Adams isn't Scott Stringer

We recently did a report showing how Scott Stringer has repeatedly appeared to have traded the community interest for his personal interest and career ambitions.

In that report we showed how Stringer takes big public stands, on what I would call generic Democratic issues over which he has little influence, such as gender equality, race and climate change. And yet on issues over which he has considerable influence that significantly impact the local communities, neighborhoods and unions - like real estate developments, local education, public libraries and the pension fund investments - he has taken big public stands in one direction, while appearing to do just the opposite with his actions.

In that report I also noted how Stringer seems opportunistic in compromising his stances [for example in education and the public library system] in order to capitalize on what he seems to think are self enhancing career opportunities. Stringer also seems to have used the power and authority of government positions entrusted to him by the people, to aid those who fund his campaigns, possibly trading what's good for the people, in exchange for what's good for Scott Stringer.

Stringer hit my radar nearly a decade ago, while Eric Adams only hit my radar a couple of years ago. So I'm less familiar with Adams' career than Stringer's. But in doing the research, I found that Eric Adams appears to be a slow steady hand, whose positions have evolved over time ... and I would add that generally they appear to have evolved carefully.

 

1. Eric Adams - Public Schools & Education

Pro Charter Schools & What that Means

In my reporting I have found that FOR PROFIT Charter Schools, don't seem to solve the failing schools problem, but rather split and shift the problem burdens, while privatizing and gutting a significant portion of the public school system.

I began reporting on education during the Bloomberg era, wherein Bloomberg's Administration seemed to split public schools into two smaller entities, and then parcel out the achieving students / families via charter recruitment to the privately run for profit charters, while leaving the lower performing students / families in the care of unions and the general public. It seemed to me they didn't really solve anything, and sucked needed capital out of the public school system, putting it in the hands of the venture capitalists who were funding the for profit charter schools.

This situation appeared to me not unlike what the insurance industry had done prior to Obamacare - whereby the insurance companies recruited healthy people for health insurance, and avoided signing those who weren't healthy in order to enhance their economic performance. To me this goes against the grain of what America is all about - which is equal opportunity for all. The privatization of the public schools by the predatory for profit charters would turn the public education system into the haves and have nots.

*** It's worth noting that NON-PROFIT CHARTERS evolved for different reasons and provided a healthy challenge to the union run public education system and thus non-profit charters appear to have a more more beneficial impact than the for-profit charters.

 

The Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo

The Sheer Number of Allegations Appears to Indicate Something is Not Right

But This Report is Not About Judging Cuomo, Either Way, but Urging People to Let Due Process Play Out

andrew cuomo's troubles nursing homes harassment governor cuomo murdoch fox wsj ny postMarch 15, 2021 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Part II.

I'm going to explore each accuser's allegations while providing a bit of background on each of them. I have found some of Cuomo's accusers more credible than others, in what I would call the integrity of the whole situation. That said, the sheer number of allegations certainly lends credence to the notion that something is not right in how Cuomo is managing his staff at the Capitol and in the Governor's mansion.

One's attractiveness to the opposite sex, can cut both ways. It can be used: 1) as a powerful tool to obtain special favors, wage increases and promotions one didn't earn, or 2) it can attract unwanted advances that feel threatening to one's person and livelihood. In the former case (#1), one's co-workers or competitors are often the victims by being passed over for promotions, travel and other opportunities. In the latter case (#2), one is a victim / target of unwanted sexual advances by virtue of their god given beauty.

While in Business School, one of my very best friends - who coincidentally was named Murdoch [but no relation to Rupert] - told me that his father had told him that

"... it was more important to be respected, than liked ..."

We both had to seriously contemplate this advice, as this friend was immensely popular. He had asked me to help him unravel what seemed his father's riddle. Ultimately In due time I concluded that my friend's father was right - it is more important to be respected than liked.

I think that is also good advice for women in the workforce, and provides a compass for how one should conduct oneself. Not every man out there is a gentleman, and oftentimes successful men are also the badly behaved men, some can even be assholes like - let's say - Donald Trump. And as we've seen over the past four year presidency, both the men and women who reported into him were certainly psychologically abused. And I won't even begin to contemplate Melania's situation.

So with that in mind, let's take a brief look at each of Cuomo's accusers and their allegations regarding the Governor.

 

I. Lindsey Boylan (36) - Deputy Secretary for Economic Development & Special Advisor to the Governor

Lindsay Boylan was the first woman to come forward and charge Andrew Cuomo with sexual harrassment in a tweet in December of 2020. She worked for Cuomo from 2015 - 2018 as the Governor's Deputy Secretary and Advisor, during which time she alleges she was continually harassed. Boylan is now running for Manhattan Borough President.

In the accounts of Boylan's claims I've seen published she indicated Cuomo would touch or brush against her arm or leg, compare her to an ex-girlfriend, make unwanted sexually charged statements or inquiries, and on one occasion kissed her on the lips without her permission following the award of a promotion.

Boylan first went public with her claims in December 2020, telling the world that she was speaking out now, because she felt that the public should know this, as Andrew Cuomo was up for consideration for the position of the U.S. Attorney General. This seemed reminiscent of Christine Blasey Ford stepping forth in 2018 with allegations of attempted rape by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But attempted rape is a far more serious allegation than harassment / inappropriate workplace behavior.

At the time Boylan said she didn't want to speak to any journalists about the explosive claims. This set off my spidey sense, because it seems unfair to think that you can make such explosive, career busting allegations without expecting reporters to want to dig deeper for the full context of the story.

Cuomo denied the allegations.

Last year [2020] Boylan was beaten in the Democratic congressional primary. It would seem to be a fair question to ask whether she is angry / blames Cuomo for her loss, believing that perhaps he did not help her enough? One might also ponder whether she is she using the explosive claims of sexual harassment against Cuomo to gain publicity for her current campaign for Manhattan Borough President, while simultaniously by capitalizing on / reaching out to the #MeToo movement?

In what appeared Cuomo pushback, some of Boylan's personnel files were disclosed to the press, indicating there may have been some issues surrounding to her departure from the Cuomo Administration, regarding her management of employees working for her. Boylan says this is part of a Cuomo intimidation / smear campaign.

Boylan said she was harrassed most or many of the nearly four years she worked for Cuomo [2015 - 2018]. Like many women, she hesitated and waited until [two] years after her departure before going public.

The #MeToo movement advocates that all women's sexual harassment claims should be believed, as for centuries women's sexual harrassment claims have been discredited and ignored.

Yet not long after she went public, she threatened to start a women's PAC to torch Schumer and other New York politicians who did not come out to support her in her allegations sooner. The gap in her announcement and in Schumer and other politicians' speaking out in her favor, was about two and a half months [late Dec 2020 to early Mar 2021]. Boylan also published a threatening tweet castigating both President Biden & Vice President Kamala Harris for withholding judgment as well, before she deleted it.

Boylan's vehement 'PAC fundraising' response, caused me to stop to ponder the full nature of Boylan's nearly four relationship with Cuomo, which seems to have greatly benefitted her with promotions and travel, until it did not. I was also reminded of how Donald Trump and Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz opportunistically used 'Stop the Steal' to fundraise PAC money for themselves off of an emotional, voter 'patriotism' hot button issue.

As with Janice Dean's allegations / crusade / soft gubernatiorial campaign launch, where Shakespeare's quote in Hamlet "The lady doth protest too much me thinks" seemed to resonate, as I again found myself asking if this quote also has some relevance to Boylan's case. See prior report for full explanation regarding Janice Dean.

Boylan's allegations would be given due consideration in an investigation. And we may learn much more about hers and Cuomo's relationship ... and it's possible that it could be highly toxic to both of them.

 


How the President, a Former NYC Mayor and Murdoch's Fox News Seemed to Incite the Capitol Insurrectionists

Rudy Giuliani, Nicknamed America's Mayor by Murdoch's Fox News, Appears to have Helped Incite the Band of Simpleminded Trumpsters to Insurrection

Updated January 11, 2021 from 1.8.21 / US Politics / NYC Neighborhoods / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. 

Rising Film Star [Barat2] and Former NYC Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, appears to have devolved into something of a national freak show or farce over the past five years. Perhaps longer. But in the past few months, he's become something of a national disgrace.

ted cruz election objections seem a fundraising scamFox News seems to use nicknames for their propaganda assets, like referring to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady' and President Ronald Reagan as the 'Gipper'. Rudy Giuliani seems to be yet another Fox propaganda asset and, as such, is oftentimes referred to as America's Mayor by Fox pundits.

This is not unlike how Murdoch's Fox News nicknames themselves America's Newsroom. This was a trick used by Hitler and Goebbels, using words and images to create the illusion that they, the Nazi Party [in this cae the Fox Nation with red, white and blue colors] was the same as the state - and thus represented all that was right and just. But remember - just because Murdoch's Fox News says it's so - doesn't make it so [like they used to call themselves 'Fair & Balanced' before they started fearing a lawsuit for false advertising]. But, the Australian born billionaire's overwhelming control and / or ownership of America's television media [see our special section on Murdoch and the 21st Propaganda Press on Gotham Buzz] does give him a leg up in attaching and making both good and bad labels stick to people, places and things.

ted cruz election objections seem a fundraising scamOn Wednesday, January 6, 2021, Rudy Giuliani joined Donald Trump and Donny junior at a Trump rally in Washington, D.C. near the White House. The Donald had promoted this gathering as something 'wild' and related to his seemingly phony stop the steal / election fraud fundraising claims. At the rally Trump told his supporters, numbering about 5,000 [per the park permit] to march down to the Capitol and that he'd be there with them.

I think it's safe to say that the Trump supporters who came to this event came prepared to continue to be misinformed and misled by the con men standing on the stage in front of them. After the speeches the audience mindlessly did as Trump had instructed them, and began marching toward the Capitol - but without their fearful leader [bonespurs acting up again?]. The Trumps and Giuliani were not to be found when the group arrived at the Capitol. What a surprise!

When the Trumpsters reached the barricades in front of the Capitol, the police in charge of protecting it, seemed to give way. What exactly transpired at this juncture we'll find out eventually, but one thing we do know for certain is that Trump didn't deploy as many of the National Guardsmen as he did for his tear gassing photo op with the Bible last summer. So Vice President Mike Pence had to step in to call up more National Guardsmen who eventually secured the Capitol - but not until after it had been ransacked [including one report of defecation].



Kentucky Insanity: Voting Repeatedly for Mitch McConnell & Expecting Things to Change

Kentucky Has the 6th Highest Poverty Rate, Ranks 46th in Healthcare, 44th in Education & 45th in Income While

McConnell’s Leadership Enriches Him & his Taiwanese Born Wife, so that Mitch is Now in the Top Ten Wealthiest Senators Club

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceOctober 26, 2020 Updated from 10/13 & 10/21/20 / NYC Neighborhoods / U.S. Politics / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Monday night Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell squared off against challenger former Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath. She, along with another woman, were the first females assigned to the Marine All Weather Attack Squadron.

Televised debates these days, seem to shed little light on the candidates or issues. This may be in part due to the format of them, as well as the failure of the debate moderators to hold the candidates' feet to the fire by pressing them on tough questions, and the current climate of conversational corruption where politicians pretty much say whatever the hell they want to say ... regardless of the truth.

So I did some of my own digging to learn more about Mitch McConnell. What I found surprised me, given how deep the rabbit hole goes and yet how little attention has been given to one of the most powerful men in Washington. So it may surprise you too.

 

DEFINITION OF INSANITY - Repeatedly Doing the Same Thing Expecting a Different Result

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceThe definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. 

The image at right was found in a web magazine, Forward Kentucky earlier this year. Donald Trump fired FIVE inspectors and among them was one investigating McConnell's wife.

What are they afraid of ... the truth?

And that is exactly what Kentuckians appear to have been doing for decades, having reportedly voted for Mitch in various elections approximately THIRTY TIMES in a row. 

Let’s take a look.

 

RICH MITCH - McConnell is the Longest [Self?] Serving Republican Leader in Senate History

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceIn June 2018, Mitch McConnell became the longest ‘serving’ Senate Republican Leader in the history of the Senate. 

McConnell has been a Kentucky Senator for nearly 36 years, having first taken office in January 1985. 

He’s been the Republican Senate Majority Leader for nearly six years - since January 2015, and the Republican Senate Minority Leader since January 2007 – another eight years and Republican Senate Majority Whip from 2003 - 2007. 

And he’s been ‘serving’ Kentucky as a senator since 1985.

 

POOR KENTUCKY - Kentucky Ranks Near the Bottom in Education, Healthcare and Income

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceAnd yet Kentucky has little to show for Mitch's length of service – even though Mitch McConnell keeps telling them how good is for them, as he’s been a member of the elite Republican Leadership for decades.

But McConnell he likes to tell Kentuckians - he's the only top federal political leader who is not from one of the big urban centers on the coasts, even though he’s been living in Washington, D.C. for one helluva lot longer than he ever lived in Kentucky. And he’s married to a Taiwanese born millionairess who has never lived in Kentucky, per se, during the nearly three decades of their blissful married life. 

So what difference does it make where Mitch McConnell claims he is from, if he’s not representing the people of Kentucky?  But rather … representing the big corporate and foreign interests that appear to fund his campaigns and enrich – not the state of Kentucky – but their chosen one, their ‘representative’ Senate Majority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell.

 

NOT A NATIVE KENTUCKIAN - Why Alabama Born McConnell May not Care About Kentucky

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceI suspect part of the reason that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care that much about Kentucky, is because he wasn’t born there, and he mostly did not grow up there.  McConnell was born in ALABAMA in 1942, and then – by way of GEORGIA – arrived in KENTUCKY in 1956 at age 14. I think it's worth mentioning that McConnell's great, great grandparents – on both sides - were Alabama slave owners, which we’ll get to shortly.

In 1968 McConnell left Kentucky for the big city, Washington, D.C., for a couple of years.  He returned to Kentucky to run for office in 1971, but failed to meet the Kentucky residency requirement.  In 1974 McConnell left Kentucky again for Washington, D.C. to work in the Ford Administration.  Gerald Ford lost the election in 1976, so McConnell returned to Kentucky to run for office again. This time Kentuckians cut him a break and elected him the Jefferson County Executive, an office he held until he was elected in 1984 to ‘represent’ them as a senator, at which time he departed Kentucky for Washington, D.C. where he's been ever since. 

So all tolled, McConnell only spent about 24 years in Kentucky [1984-1956=28-2-2=24], which is not even a third of his 78 years of life.  And McConnell has spent 36 years ‘representing’ Kentuckians in the big city of Washington, D.C. – where he has lived half again as much time, as he has lived in Kentucky.  So while Mitch doesn’t appear to represent Kentuckians – one has to ask how could he - given he has spent so little time there and it was what seems a lifetime ago?

 

McConnell Received Educational Deferment from Military, Followed by Medical Exemption for Optic Neuritis – Not Polio

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceAccording to Wikipedia, after McConnell’s educational deferment from the military expired in 1967, McConnell ‘served’ about a month.  The same report tells us McConnell was diagnosed with optic neuritis – a temporary inflammation in the eye that can cause temporary blindness.  According to a few Google searches, optic neuritis is a common eye problem that self resolves in about four to 12 weeks.  There are severe cases of it, but given McConnell is 78 years old and we’ve heard nary a word of it since his getting out of military service, I suspect his case was 'mild’, not unlike Trump's CoVid case.  McConnell is also said to have contracted polio, but apparently escaped any significant long term impairment, as we see him walking up and down the halls of the Capitol without a problem.

 

MONEY BAGS MITCH - McConnell Supported by Chinese, Russian & Australian Immigrants

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceIn 1984 McConnell became a Kentucky Senator.  And while most Kentuckians don’t like him and neither do most Americans – Australian born billionaire Rupert Murdoch’s soon to be media executive, Roger Ailes, ran McConnell's first campaign. Murdoch seems to have been influential in rolling back media regulations beginning around that time, so it wouldn't be a big leap to assume that McConnell helped Murdoch feather his nest through regulatory rollbacks, while Murdoch helped keep McConnell in place as an enabler in hacking through the regulatory environment which had previously held large media corporations in check. Murdoch controls Fox News, the NY Post, the Wall St Journal and in 2019 became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in an inverted takeover. 

We'll zoom in on why the rich Chinese and Russian born immigrants started backing Mitch McConnell a little further in the story.

 

McConnell Sells Out or Trades in his Old Kentucky Home?

mcconnell mcgrath senate race kentucky who is mitch mcconnell who is elaine chao kentucky senate raceMcConnell was married to a Kentucky woman, Sherrill Redmon, from 1968 [around the time of his military deferment] to 1980 [around the time he was re-elected but a few years before he hit the big time as a senator beginning in 1984].  In the early years in Kentucky McConnell was considered a liberal leaning moderate [his ex-wife and one or more of his daughters still seem to lean more toward the middle, having oppposed the Brett Kavanaugh SCOTUS confirmation]. 

But McConnell's views seemed to quickly change after he hired Roger Ailes, [who later became Fox News CEO], to run his 1984 Senate campaign. This was followed by McConnell 's social climbing upward mobility when he met and married his new Chinese American wife, who connected his campaign to a multi-million dollar money train. Taiwanese born Elaine Chao's mega millionaire father is well connected to the Chinese Communist Party Leadership, owns a Chinese American Shipping Company, and he and her family have donated millions to McConnell, as well as his and Republican PACs.

 

The Decade McConnell Went From Kentucky Mitch to Shanghai Mitch

Following the 1984 election Rolling Stone story reports McConnell,

“As I always say,” McConnell wrote in his book, “the three most important words in politics are ‘cash on hand.’ ”


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BK

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Casa Belvedere and the Festa & Motori D'Italia

9th Annual Festa & Motori D'Italia Keeps the Engine Running on All Cylinders

September 23, 2019 / Grymes Hill Neighborhood Staten Island / Things to do on Staten Island / Staten Buzz NYC.

I attended the Festa & Motori D'Italia at the Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island. The following video captures most of what I experienced - save for the delicious aromas floating in the air.


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manhattan neighborhoods manhattan things to do manhattan events manhattan nyc


MB

Greta Thunberg at Climate Strike in Battery Park NYC 2019

Tens of Thousands Showed for the Climate Strike - NBC Estimated 60,000

September 20, 2019 / Downtown NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

I attended the Climate Strike in Battery Park Friday late afternoon. It was a beautiful day and thousands had shown up to rally support for changing how we live in order to avert the disaster of irreparably destroying the ecosystem which supports life on the planet. Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was there and spoke at the rally. The video below provides views of the crowd, some of their signs, a poetry performance, a musical performance and some of Greta's remarks. Stay tuned next week as the United Nations meets and Greta visits the U.N. to implore them to take action.


queens neighborhoods queens things to do queens events queens nyc


QB

Only in Queens: The U.S. Open & the USTA

Intergenerational Tennis Wins: Nadal Defeats Medvedev & Andreescu Defeats Williams

renovated usta flushing renovated usta billie jean king national tennis center queens nycSeptember 10, 2019 / Flushing Neighborhood / Sports in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.

In the week leading up to the U.S. Open the USTA opens its doors to the Flushing, Queens and NYC community. They host a number of tennis related events, and provide opportunities for those who visit to watch the pros practice on the courts. The week culminated in Arthur Ashe Kid Day at the end of the week and families from the NYC metro area, most notably Queens come in droves to take in the rich atmosphere of the newly renovated USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

I had the opportunity to visit this year, which was enhanced by being able to photograph and video a shirtless Rafael Nadal - who won the men’s title this year, complete with ripped abs - while practicing. See video later in the story.


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BX

Closure of Rikers Island Moves Another Step Forward

In Oct 2019 NYC Council Designated Neighborhood Jail Locations in Four Boroughs

Community Board One in Astoria Only Approved the Closure of Rikers Island

rikers island closing rikers island correctional facility history rikers island development astoria queens rikers island hunts point bronxJanuary 26, 2020 / Bronx Neighborhoods / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Politics / Bronx Politics & Government / Queens Buzz NYC & Bronx Buzz NYC.

A week ago, on Tuesday, January 21st I attended the Community Board One meeting at the Astoria World Manor where the board was asked to approve the closing of the Rikers Island Detention Facility effective sometime before the end of the year 2026.

The photo at right was taken from an airplane while landing at LaGuardia in a prior year. Rikers Island Correctional Facility is a stone's throw away from LGA.

 

Queens Community Board One in Astoria Votes on Rikers Closure

The presentation consisted of two slides. One highlighted the social / moral blight that Rikers Island had become. The second slide simply proposed the request in very limited terms - the closing of Rikers Island and the conversion of it to a ‘public place’. The presentation to the Committee was done by a team lead by Dana Kaplan, Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

So please note that the Community Board had no role in the placement of neighborhood jails, nor did they sign off on anything that may become of Rikers Island going forward. They only approved the closing of the Correctional Facility and the allowance of use for it as a "public place".

I spoke with CB1 District Manager Florence Kolouris after the meeting about what exactly that meant. She told me that there isn’t any definition, per se, given for public place – but a couple of examples of prior public places include Lincoln Center, Fort Totten and Queens Borough Hall.

The Community Board approved the measure with a recommendation that CB1 be kept in the loop throughout the closing process, including any demolition. Plenty of questions followed regarding what would become of the 400 acre island. Nothing concrete was proposed at this time, but the audience was assured that any changes would have to come through the Community Board via the ULURP process [Uniform Land Use Review Procedure].

 

The Bronx & Queens - Rikers Island Community Jurisdiction & Prison Population

rikers island closing rikers island correctional facility history rikers island development astoria queens rikers island hunts point bronxIt’s worth noting that technically Rikers Island is a part of the Bronx – not Queens – even though the only road traveling onto the island originates in the Astoria / East Elmhurst neighborhoods of Queens. In addition to Queens Community Board One, Bronx Community Board Two, representing the Hunts Point neighborhood, also has influence over the island. Since the Dinkins Administration in the 1990's, there's been a floating barge facility that's docked in Hunts Point, that is considered a part of the Rikers Island Correctional Facility.

Currently there are an estimated 7,000 plus inmates on Rikers Island. At its height, in 1991, Rikers Island held an estimated overcapacity inmate population of nearly 22,000. By the time the facility is to be closed in 2026, the inmate population is expected to have declined to between 3,000 and 4,000.

The photo at right shows the Rikers Island Correctional Facility which will be closed by the end of 2026.


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NEIGHBORHOODS


Things To Do in NYC This Weekend July 30 - August 1st, 2021

Food, Music, Art Festivals & Movies in NYC this Weekend

July 30, 2021 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Things To Do Events / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

things to do this weekend in nyc things to do in manhattan brooklyn. queens bronx staten island nyc things to do over the weekend nycWeather. There's a 60% probability of about a third inch of rain beginning sometime between 3 and 6 pm Sunday. The rest of the weekend should be clear. The temperature highs will be around 80 and the lows in the mid 60's all weekend. Humidity will range from 50% - 60% all weekend, except Sunday night when it rises to near 80% due to the rain. The winds will vary throughout the weekend from about 15 mph Friday, to 5 mph Saturday and 10 mph Sunday. All in all, not a bad weather weekend.

 

FYI - On the Great Lawn - NYC Homecoming Concert 2021

  • CENTRAL PARK _ Tuesday August 24, 2021 from 10 am - 6 pm - We Love NYC - A big Free HomeComing Concert - On the Great Lawn in Central Park, but must be ticketed, and meet CoVid guidelines. Tickets go on 'sale' on August 2nd and are expected to go quickly at www.ticketmaster.com. Free Manhattan concerts NYC.

 

All Five Boros are Back Online with Live Cultural Programs & Events

But please remain CoVid cautious for your own health and that of those around you by getting vaccinated, wearing masks when indoors or in close proximity to others and by washing your hands regularly.

Here are links to things going on in each borough this weekend.

Things to do this weekend in the Bronx

Things to do this weekend in Brooklyn

Things to do this weekend in Manhattan

Things to do this weekend in Queens

Things to do this weekend on Staten Island

Also see links below, posted on July 16, 2021, to farmers markets, street fairs and free theater, movies, concerts and swimming pools.

Enjoy.




nyc real estate nyc business nyc


REAL ESTATE & BUSINESS

NYC Landlord Harassments Continue

NYCCM Helen Rosenthal Hosts Housing Clinic to Inform Renters of Their Rights

manhattan things to do nycMay 29, 2018 / Upper West Side Neighborhood / Manhattan Real Estate / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.

MB - S.

On Wednesday, May 25th I went to the Goddard Riverside Community Center on Columbus Avenue at 88th Street to attend a housing clinic designed to inform renters of their rights.

***The following introduction is based on prior research done by me, and was not information provided at the housing clinic. I'll let you know when I segue out of my preamble and into the housing clinic.***

Over the past decade landlords appear to have become increasingly aggressive in trying to wriggle out of NYC and NYS rent stabilization regulations, that govern the rental payments under which about two million New Yorkers live.

It is my understanding that the government contributed land and / or financing to build or repair the buildings governed by NYC / NYS rent stabilization laws in exchange for the pricing rights on rent stabilized units. Many of the new landlords who have acquired rent stablized buildings, may possibly be in violation of approaching their business contract(s) in good faith, as the definition of good faith according to Wikipedia is:

"In contract law, the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is a general presumption that the parties to a contract will deal with each other honestly, fairly, and in good faith, so as to not destroy the right of the other party or parties to receive the benefits of the contract. It is implied in every contract in order to reinforce the express covenants or promises of the contract. A lawsuit (or a cause of action) based upon the breach of the covenant may arise when one party to the contract attempts to claim the benefit of a technical excuse for breaching the contract, or when he or she uses specific contractual terms in isolation in order to refuse to perform his or her contractual obligations, despite the general circumstances and understandings between the parties. When a court or triar or fact interprets a contract, there is always an "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing" in every written agreement."

What is at stake, throughout the city, is literally hundreds of millions and more likely billions of dollars in - rental benefits or rental income streams - depending on which side of the struggle you're on. The landlords appear to be trying - using the torturtous side effects of construction including noise, health risk dust [inhalation], privacy loss and apartment functional loss - to wrest away the billions of dollars of rental pricing rights benefits from tenants to be pocketed by the landlords themselves. Given the high dollar value of what's at stake - including people's homes - this seems like attempted grand larceny, especially in cases where landlords are breaking the law to achieve their goals.

This will be continued at a later date. Including the segue into the information provided by the Housing Clinic to inform tenants of their rights.

Tenants' Rights March & Rally - June 14th Midtown at 4.30 pm

P.S. There's a March & Rally scheduled for June 14th, beginning at 4.30 pm, at the NY Public Library at 5th Avenue and 40th Street. They plan to march to Governor Cuomo's office at 3rd Avenue and East 41st Street. For details contact info@realrentreform.org or call 212.979.6958. All but one of the No IDC NY senatorial candidates have been invited to participate, and there's a possibility that NYS gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon will be there too - as this seems to coincide with her reasons for challenging Governor Cuomo.


NY Real Estate Expo

NYC Professionals Discuss Manhattan & NYC Metro Real Estate

April 23, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / Manhattan Real Estate NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

manhattan real estate manhattan nyc real estateI attended the 10th annual NY Real Estate Expo at the New York Hilton last week. The event was well attended by hundreds of real estate, development and financial professionals from the NYC and metro area. Anthony Kazazis, Director of the event, had organized a series of panels to discuss key aspects affecting the real estate market ranging from software platforms, to financing, to NYC real estate market assessments.

Generally the mood was upbeat, but not without some concern about the future, given changes in the tax laws, foreign interest in NYC investment, interest rates forecasts and technological challenges facing the industry. But, I thought, that is why everyone is here. To find out what's going on so they can navigate the market changes - rather than be surprised by them.

While I had intended to stay only a short while, I found the topics and panelists too interesting to leave, so I stayed most of the day. I started with a discussion of a new information technology platform called Blockchain, which is intended to serve as an information clearing house, and it includes some artificial intelligence capability. I then found my way into a discussion about New York City versus Silicon Valley with respect to attracting large technology companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. And I ended my visit after listening in on a discussion by NYC and metro area realtors discuss the residential real estate market in Manhattan and outer boroughs.

Sound like an interesting NYC real estate conference? It was. In the photo above you can see the audience at the well attended panel discussions at the NY Real Estate Expo this year.

I'll have more on this later in the week.


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Rupert Murdoch's NY Post uses Midtown NYC Power Outage to Attack Mayor de Blasio Call for Dismissal
ny post fake news ny post distorted news ny post propaganda rupert murdoch orders nyc to fire mayor de blasio midtown power outage 2019

Billionaire Rupert Murdoch & his NY Post Order Us to Fire the Mayor

Murdoch & his NY Post Seem to Want a Puppet NANNY not a Mayor

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioJuly 14, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / New Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Multi-Billionaire Rupert Murdoch, the puppet master of the world's three largest English-speaking democracies, has dictated that we must remove Mayor de Blasio NOW.

Murdoch's NY Post headline was almost predictable. Mayor de Blasio was campaigning in Iowa over the weekend, and while he was away, there was a 25 hour power outage in west midtown [Saturday]. MURDOCH & his minions on the NY POST Editorial Board want the Mayor fired - like he is their nanny who left town - without tucking them in that night.

In the photo at right is multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch who controls two [Newscorp & Fox Corp] of the six largest U.S. media companies which control about 80% of U.S. media. Murdoch also became the largest shareholder of Disney / ABC in the Spring of 2019 [which brings Murdoch's control / influence to three of the six largest media companies in the U.S.]. This huge media merger was made possible thanks to a waive through by the 'Trump Department of Justice'. Murdoch appears to have turned Australia and Britain into Murdoch-controlled banana republics, and seems well on his way to doing the same here in the United States.

I'm nearly certain the Donald, Murdoch's current nanny president, would remove Mayor de Blasio - were it in the Donald's power to do so. Since the Donald appears to have carried out so many of Murdoch's instructions since coming to office just two and a half years ago.


Billionaire Rupert Murdoch & his NY Post Order Us to Fire the Mayor

Murdoch & his NY Post Seem to Want a Puppet NANNY not a Mayor

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioJuly 14, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics / New Analysis, Opinion & Satire / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

Trump's Corrupt Quid Pro Quo Gifts to Murdoch for Propaganda?

Trump fired all of the U.S. Attorneys in the spring of 2017, less than 24 hours after being told to do so, by Murdoch's Pinocchio Pundit Sean Hannity. The NY U.S. Attorney, Preet Bahara, was investigating charges that Murdoch's company was engaged in an illegal hacking scandal again [the first one was in Britian], along with allegations of sexual misconduct at Murdoch's company [these have plagued Murdoch's company for many years].

That same year [2017], Trump's FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed waiving the ownership limits on U.S. television stations, in advance of Murdoch's Fox News deal to acquire numerous TV stations from Sinclair Broadcasting in early 2018 [deal fell through].

And Trump's Department of Justice waived through Murdoch's inverted takeover of Disney / ABC whereby Murdoch became Disney / ABC's largest shareholder. Murdoch appears to be using Disney / ABC Chairman, Bob Iger, like he uses Prime Ministers and Presidents ... to do his dirty work, in exchange for funding and [media] support.

Lastly, but not insignificantly, Murdoch's 'fake news' President recognized the Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli territory. It seems no coincidence that multi-billionaire Rupert Murdoch and former Vice President Dick Cheney [were these two co-conspirators in producing the Iraqi fake weapons of mass destruction in the early 2000's?] are major stakeholders in Genie Energy, which has significant 'holdings' in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The United Nations and the rest of the world still consider the Golan Heights to be Syrian territory occupied by the Israelis.

Murdoch seems to use his media to discredit, displace and replace Australian Prime Ministers [five prime ministers in a little more than five years] and British Prime Ministers [three prime ministers in a little more than three years] so he can get those nation's leaders to do what he wants.

ny post propaganda ny post fake news ny post murdoch de blasioMurdoch has a monopoly share of newspapers and the majority share of TV stations in Australia - where after decades of dictating to Australians - most of them are still ignorant of the fact that Murdoch has near monopoly control of their media, even though he is neither a resident nor citizen. And Murdoch controls two of the three most dominant newspapers in Britain and an oligarch's share of the British TV market [Murdoch would have had a majority share of the British TV market had not Comcast outbid him in 2018 - and again he is neither a resident nor citizen of Britain].

The result is that the government officials in both Australia and Britain pretty much seem to say piss off to the public good, and do what Murdoch tells them to do. And if they don't, Murdoch seems ready, willing and able to use his overwhelming share of the nation's mass media outlets to propagandistically discredit and replace them. It is in this manner that Murdoch appears to control these nations.

One has to ask how much of a democracy Australia and Britain really are, when one man has so much control over the information used by voters to make their decisions prior to casting their votes?

If Mayor de Blasio becomes the next president - Murdoch and his NY Propaganda Post would lose the coddling by their current nanny president - the Donald. This seems to explain why Murdoch appears to have used his NY Post, in a what seems a Goebbels-inspired effort, to discredit the Mayor. It appears Murdoch is hellbent on pre-emptively eliminating Mayor de Blasio as a presidential candidate even before de Blasio begins gaining traction with the American electorate.



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November 7, 2018 Midterm Election Results: Trump & Republicans Lose Badly in Midterms
trump republicans thrashed in midterms trump huge losses midterm elections trump electoral losses midterms nov 2018

Trump Suffers Huge Losses in Midterms

Americans Sharply Reprimand the Un-Reality TV President

November 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

trump trashed in midterms trump republicans lose big republicans & trump lose badly in midterms 2018 trump loses badly nov 2018 midterm election republicans lose badly elections 2018

The American people have spoken.

Now what the voters have said, by virtue of their votes, is already being spun by Donald Trump's and Rupert Murdoch's propaganda spin machines in order to further their self-serving agendas.

But before we look at the spin, let's look at the facts, as the electoral outcome is a measure of the American people's endorsement - or lack thereof - of the presidency of Donald J. Trump and by association, Rupert Murdoch, the multi-billionaire, global propagandist who was instrumental in helping Trump take the White House.

 

Republicans Gain 2 Senate Seats - One from Pence's Home State of Indiana & one from Donald's 2nd Home State of Florida

The Republican Party strengthened its already firm grip on the Senate by picking up three [North Dakota, Missouri & Indiana] maybe four [Florida] Democratic Senate seats, while losing two Republican seats [Nevada and Arizona], leaving them with a net gain of two seats.

  • Update - Republicans won Florida, so they gained four Senate seats and lost two. The tally now stands at 47 Democrats to 53 Republicans, meaning the Republican party continues to control the Senate.

So, assuming that the follow on election in Mississippi goes to Republicans, and the current tiny lead in Florida is not overwhelmed with absentee ballots, the Senate tally will change from the current 49 Democrats - 51 Republicans to 47 Democrats - 53 Republicans. Of note is that Republicans had only six seats to defend, while Democrats had 27 seats up for grabs.

At the moment there are two unresolved Senate races, one of which has been Republican [Mississippi] and the second of which is Florida [Democratic incumbent], so this tally could change.

Home States Advantage. It's worth mentioning that one of the seats picked up by the Republicans came from Indiana, the home state of Vice President Mike Pence, and the possibility of another comes from Florida, which I categorize as the second home state of President Donald Trump, given how much property he owns / manages there and how often he golfs there.

 

Republicans Lose Control of the House & Lose Control of 7 State Capitals

As of this report the Republican Party lost 27 and likely more seats in the House, thus relinquishing their majority in that body for the first time in eight years. And for the first time during the Trump presidency, the opposition Democrats have an opportunity to play a real role in governing again. The Democrats now have subpoena power, they have the power to impeach, and no legislation can be passed without Democratic signatures. At present count the Democrats have won 222 seats [218 provides majority rule] to the Republicans 194 seats, and there are 17 races that have not yet been officially announced, so the net loss / gain tallies will change, as the remaining 19 contests are settled. There are 435 congressional representatives.

  • Update - Democrats won 235 Congressional seats, while Republicans won 200 Congressional seats meaning there was a HUGE flip from strong Republican control of Congress to strong Democratic control of Congress.

 


Trump Suffers Huge Losses in Midterms

Americans Sharply Reprimand the Un-Reality TV President

November 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / New Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

trump trashed in midterms trump republicans lose big republicans & trump lose badly in midterms 2018

The American people have spoken.

Continued.

 

Republican Party Loses 7 State Houses

But perhaps most importantly, as of this report the Republican Party lost control of at least seven state capitals to the Democrats. And all of those new Democratic governors are going to have the final say on congressional seat redistricting for the next decade, beginning in 2020. At the beginning of this election Democrats controlled just 16 State Houses, while the present tally shows them likely to control 23 or more, an increase of seven states, and a near doubling of those up for election [7 Democratic and 7 Republican governors were not facing re-election this year].

It's worth mentioning that voters said Donald J. Trump was one of the two top issues of the campaign - along with healthcare. So there's no dodging that in the eyes of the electorate, the Trump group has failed the American people. But that's not likely to stop the Trump, Hannity & Murdoch propaganda machine from spinning their tales to the weak minded in their audiences who wish to believe. INSERT CHART.

 

Murdoch's Propaganda WSJ & Fox 'News' Hyper Spin the Electoral Losses into a Trump 'Triumph of the Will'

The Murdoch's Wall Street Journal read that "Democrats Retake the House after 8 years of GOP Rule", and then pretty much ignored the headline, diving straight into the Murdoch spin of the results of the night. There were four stories following the headline.

The WSJ Editorial Board, presumably overseen by the Wall St. Journal Editorial Page Manager Paul Gigot [who decided to hold a story about Trump's mob ties just prior to the 2016 general election], blamed the loss on 'America's deep political divisions'. Murdoch's WSJ, NY Post and Fox News really should take a bow for their contributions to inflaming these divisions, because many of them appear made possible in part by three decades of the Murdoch media machine feeding and exacerbating those divisions. The WSJ said the Democrats retaking of the House and huge gains at the State House level, was less than a "blue wave".

The next Wall St Journal propaganda spin went on to promote the idea that Trump is a billionaire celebrity, who rode his populism to the Oval Office. They then went on to congratulate Trump for not fizzling out like other populists before him, and seemed to encourage Trump's combative style.

The third WSJ propaganda piece boldly states that Trump "Did What He Needed To Do In The Midterms", which presumably was to hang onto the Senate. Given the Democrats had 27 Senate seats at stake and the Republicans had only six, keeping the Senate Republican shouldn't have been a daunting task for any president.

And then Murdoch's WSJ completed the head-spinning narrative with a fourth story about how the Republicans have built upon their Senate Majority. It's amazing how Murdoch's Wall St Journal managed to ignore the truth of what really happened Tuesday night. And what's even more amazing is that likely most in the Wall St Journal audience likely won't realize they are being manipulated by the narrative spin on the election results, as the WSJ focused on the the Trump wins and nearly completely ignored the game changing Trump losses.

Bear in mind that this is not your father's Wall Street Journal. It's now Rupert Murdoch's Wall St. Journal - which means it's Fox Fake 'News' disguised as a once reputable national newspaper.

The Fox Fake News Network was even more entertaining to observe. Rupert Murdoch's multi-billionaire spin machine washed the reality out of the election results like cleaning dirty laundry, first ridding it clean of negative facts, and then delivering it disguised as 'news' to an audience that appears to collaborate with Fox Fake News to deceive themselves by consuming Murdoch's nationally branded propagandist media. Many 'good' Germans did this in 1930's Germany.

My favorite headlines on the Fox 'News' site were 'Trump Gains Allies in Senate' but the winning headline was 'Thank You President Trump. You've got the GOP in Great Shape for 2020 and Left the Liberals Speechless'. Fox News, the WSJ and the NY Post provided their audience with scant recognition of the reality of what just happened because it doesn't fit into their mass manipulation narrative and they appear to be trying to keep up Trump Republicans' morale. This reminds me of accounts of how the Allied victories in WWII were treated in Joseph Goebbels' propagandistic narratives about Adolph Hitler as a military genius.

That said, the GOP may be in good shape for 2020, but not for the reasons proffered by Fox in their report. Rather, because sometime in 2019 Murdoch will complete the takeover of Disney / ABC and he will control more than half of America's broadcast media.

 

Goebbels & Murdoch's Phony Trump 'Triumph of the Will'

There are people who are completely ignorant, like the Florida pipe bomber who was an avid Trump supporter, and there are people who are disinformed, like the Pittsburgh synogogue mass murderer who used the same language to describe the immigrant caravan as used on Murdoch's Fox 'News' in his last tweet [invaders]. These people, and others like them, might permit themselves to believe the 180 degree narrative spin of the Murdoch propaganda machine. They might walk away from a Murdoch newspaper, news site or TV broadcast thinking that Trump and the Republicans didn't really have their MAGA hats handed to them on Tuesday, but actually won - thanks to the brilliance of the great leader, Donald. Sieg Heil?

A little more than 90 years ago, Joseph Goebbels used to publicize these same kind of adulatory reports about Adolph Hitler as Hitler ascended to power. Goebbels told the German people how everything Adolph did was really a brilliant win - even many years later when the facts started indicating otherwise. Far too many of the German people allowed themselves to believe Goebbels propagandistic fake news reports through to the end of the war, as in Goebbels' last report in April 1945, he told his ignorant and disinformed German audience that the American invaders would rape their women and murder their children. Sound familiar? See why below.

 

Will Trump & Murdoch Continue Mass Deceit & Manipulation?

Murdoch's Fox Fake News treachery was on display again during the midterm election. There were numerous journalistic transgressions by Fox 'News' including the running of one of Trump's fake news ads which simplistically and inaccurately blamed the Democrats for releasing a lone immigrant killer, who the two billionaires appeared to use to smear and depict as all immigrants.

The irony of the Trump advertisement on Fox 'News' is that the killer they picked was reportedly [by the Sacramento Bee] freed by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the recipient of one of Trump's executive pardons. Murdoch's Fox 'News' ran the ad until they found they were the only network running it [other networks refused it or pulled it]. Murdoch's Fox 'News' finally pulled it with only two days remaining before the election. Murdoch's investors need not worry, as he did not turn away much of the revenue.

Murdoch's Fox 'News' breached other journalistic protocols too numerous to mention. But it is worth noting that they recklessly hyped an immigrant caravan of several thousand people, including children, marching on foot as 'invaders'. The reality of the 'invading' caravan of poor destitute people, was that it was smaller than most parades in New York City. Trump added to the deceit by calling on thousands of U.S. Military troops to "defend our borders". Most pundits saw this as an election fear mongering ploy.

We'll soon find out - like we did with Hillary's emails - which Fox 'News' hyped nearly daily / making so much fuss about them prior to the 2016 election - and about which we've heard virtually nothing ever since.

As mentioned above, it's worth mentioning that the murderer who attacked a synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday, October 27th, 2018 tweeted that he was "going in" to kill the Jews who he believed were assisting the caravan of "invaders".

 

Murdoch Taking Control of Disney / ABC - Let the 2020 Mayhem Begin

Few government officials and corporate media outlets appear to be paying much attention to the fact that the world's most dangerous, free-world propagandist is about to take control of Disney / ABC. Disney / ABC is one of the top six news / content producing news organizations in America. This merger, combined with Murdoch's control of 21st Century Fox and Newscorp - also two of America's top six news / content producing organizations - will give billionaire, global propagandist Rupert Murdoch control of over half of America's airwaves.

When you see how much disinformation Murdoch fake news outlets can spread with the media assets he currently controls, think the havoc he will create once he nearly doubles the media assets under his control.

Some Australians already know how oppressive it feels like to have one man, unanswerable to anyone, making all the decisions about who is promoted into positions of power. The rest of the Australians remain completely unaware that their government has been taken over, even as Australians appear to have lost control of their government decade(s) ago to Rupert Murdoch's near monopoly of Australian media.

Australia has become what I call a Media Controlled State [as opposed to state controlled media]. Since siezing control, Murdoch appears to have promoted a former employee [Tony Abbott] to be Australian Prime Minister [2013 - 2015], and Abbott's Administration subsequently failed to file a follow on court motion in a court case between Murdoch and the Australian government, which resulted in the Australian taxpayers giving Murdoch a nearly $1 billion tax break / gift. Australia's national budget was in the neighborhood of $400 billion, so that's a significant budget item - especially to give to one corporation because of one man.

Murdoch also appears to have had his minion Australian Prime Ministers re-write Australia's broadcast regulations over the years. The seemingly Murdoch inspired deregulation enables Murdoch, a foreigner, to control a monopoly share of the Australian media market and by association the national conversation - even though he is not a citizen or resident of that nation. Ever since Murdoch gained the upper hand in Australian media, it appears that nobody becomes Prime Minister without Rupert Murdoch's approval. And Murdoch appears to get his way on national policies that matter to him, or his cronies, as well. Pay heed, because Rupert Murdoch is approaching a nation-controlling share of America's media. And he, like Goebbels before him, appears to use the media to manipulate the vast number of uninformed and / or ignorant voters [like the two referenced above] in pursuit of his own self-serving greed and lust for ever more power. There is, in my mind, something inherently wrong with such people. Bad code.

Donald Trump isn't the only threat facing our democracy. If most Americans are relying on media outlets like Fox 'News', the Wall St Journal and the NY Post - media outlets that fail to include key facts and / or provide distorted narratives of the news - real democracy cannot work. It will not work under such conditions, because we'll never have an intelligent, informed discussion about the issues confronting us, but rather constantly struggle to clean up a Murdoch media manufactured fictional narrative, fostered by fear mongering phonies like Trump and Hannity, to stir the mindless masses into a frenzy, while they steal away our precious liberties, that so many of our American ancestors have risked or given their lives to defend. Sometime next year [2019], you can begin adding Disney / ABC as a Murdoch media outlet, as he is expected to complete his clever Fox inverted takeover of them by early / mid year.

 

Republicans Suffer Bloodbath in NYS State Elections

On the local level the New York Times reports that NYS Governor Democrat Andrew Cuomo sailed to victory winning 3.350 million votes [59%] to Republican Marc Molinaro's 2.088 million votes [36.8%] to retain his position. For NYS Attorney General Democrat Letitia James bested Cuomo, winning 3.444 million votes [61.9%] to Republican Keith Wofford's 1.985 million votes [35.7%]. NYS Comptroller Democrat Thomas Di Napoli won re-election handily, besting both Cuomo and James with 3.715 million votes [66.6%] to Republican Jonathan Trichter's 1.766 million votes [31.7%]. NYS Senator Democrat Kirsten Gillebrand received 3.699 million votes [66.6%] to Republican Chele Farley's 1.855 million votes [33.4%]. Ballotopedia reports that Democrat Kathy Hochul retained the Lieutenant Governor position with 3.352 million votes [57%] versus Julie Killian who received 2.088 million votes [36.1%].

Republicans also lost all real power in the NYS Legislature, as Democrats won the Senate for the first time in quite a while, while retaining control of the Assembly. While all of the races are not yet final, it looks like in the NYS Senate Democrats will have about 40 seats vs Republicans 23, and in the NYS Assembly Democrats will have 107 seats vs 43. So at the state level, it was a Republican bloodbath.

Having one party in complete control, as we have seen at the national level, is rarely optimal.

In NYS Congressional races there was a surprise win for the Democrats with Max Rose defeating incumbent Republican Dan Donovan in Staten Island's Congressional District 11. And in the 14th District in the Bronx / Queens Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aged 29, set a record by becoming the youngest female congresswoman in American history.

On the Ballot Issues - all three were passed [Yes] with winning margins ranging with 4x, just under 2x and just under 3x Yes's to No's respectively. The numbered ballot issues are explained below.


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NYC Congestion Pricing Bill Under Consideration in Albany NYS
albany congestion pricing bill nyc nys legislature congestion pricing bill nyc march 2019

Congestion Pricing & the Lobbying Apparatus that Won't Take No For an Answer

Congestion Pricing Legislation was being Pushed in Albany over a Decade Ago ... so Who's Really in Charge?

congestion pricing legislation albany nysMarch 26, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Last week I attended a Congestion Pricing Town Hall organized by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Earlier in the week City Council Member Helen Rosenthal had organized one along the same lines because legislation is percolating in Albany.

Governor Cuomo appears to be itching to pass the Congestion Pricing legislation, likely so he can get his hands on more taxpayer money, while satisfying a whole host of private industry consultants and corporations. These consultants and corporations would then rake in hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars thanks to Albany. So then would they recycle a small portion of the funds into the campaigns of the folks who supported it?

These days that seems to be the campaign funding cycle - where the voters get left out because they aren't minding the store. A government of the people, by the people and for the people doesn't work if the people aren't paying attention. Jefferson said, "Those who believe they can be ignorant and free, believe in something that never was and never shall be."

 

I. Congestion Pricing is a Very Expensive Taxation Plan

congestion pricing legislation albany nysLet me start by outlining what the Congestion Pricing legislation really is, versus the myriad of narratives they've used to sell this pig. While they have said it will reduce congestion, reduce carbons, increase cycling, increase safety - note that all of these claims are highly debatable. Based on the research I've done, the Congestion Pricing Plan seems quite simply to be a very, very expensive means of taxation.

In London, where they implemented Congestion Pricing over a decade ago, as of a few years ago, only about half of the revenue made its way into public transit development. The other half was used to install and operate [and god knows what else] the new infrastructure. Click here to read a prior report we did which includes lots of facts, figures and the history and effects of congestion pricing in the U.S. and Europe.

It's worth noting that London decided NOT to go forward with the second proposed phase of Congestion Pricing. And it's worth mentioning that I found a lot of 'authoritative looking' disinformation out there regarding the London results, which one can surmise was encouraged - if not funded - by those who so handsomely profit from this sort of legislation.

If the government officials in Albany are going to increase our taxes, the least they could do is make it such that the taxation revenue that is collected is 100% usable, not 50% usable.

When you take away the incremental revenue generated by the Congestion Pricing Plan, you will clearly see that it DOES NOTHING TO SOLVE THE NYC MASS TRANSIT PROBLEM and there are far less expensive / more efficient / more beneficial means of taxation.


Congestion Pricing & the Lobbying Apparatus that Won't Take No For an Answer

Congestion Pricing Legislation was being Pushed in Albany over a Decade Ago ... so Who's Really in Charge?

March 26, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

 

II. Congestion Pricing is Burden Shifting Legislation that Aids the Rich and the Pols, While Punishing the Middle & Working Classes

congestion pricing legislation albany nysThe Congestion Pricing Plan is essentially a burden-shifting plan, whereby the burden of traffic congestion during rush hour, is shifted from being all car commuters' problem, to easing the burden on those who can afford to pay the new tolls, while making life more difficult for those who cannot.

So essentially Congrestion Pricing makes life harder / more expensive / more time consuming for people who are middle and working class - while making life easier for the rich folks by asking them to pay a few more dollars to get back more of their high dollar time. It's like the Trump Tax plan which shifted about $1.5 trillion from America's children and unborns, to the richest people on the planet. Life is made easier for those who already have so much, while being made more difficult for those who don't.

That seems simply un-American.

Remember, as stated above, a government of the people, by the people and for the people doesn't work if the people don't pay attention. Voters need only blame themselves if they allow the representatives they elected, to betray them, in favor of the rich consultants and corporate campaign donors, who will profit at the voters' expense.

 

III. Congestion Pricing Doesn't Solve Anything - Carbon

In one of the spin cycles, the Congestion Pricing proponents claimed that Congestion Pricing would reduce carbon emissions. And yet in a study done on time shifting pricing done in the NYC metro area showed that Congestion Pricing did little to reduce the influx of vehicular traffic. The study found that the pricing formula only shifted the volume of traffic at a given time, but did not significantly reduce traffic over the span of the day. I'll get more into some of the Congestion Pricing particulars when I post the report on Gale Brewer's Town Hall, where other / more efficient means of taxing / limiting vehicles coming into Manhattan were discussed.

 

IV. Follow the Money: Why is Congestion Pricing Still Around & Why Aren't There Any Other Alternatives Under Discussion?

congestion pricing legislation albany nysCongestion Pricing has been floating around the halls of Albany, dating back to the Bloomberg Administration's push for it in 2007 and 2008. The legislation has been killed at least twice previously. Perhaps Albany will do the right thing and kill it again.

But then again, the NYT indicated that maybe the Democrats in Albany will pass Congestion Pricing this time around, because Mayor de Blasio isn't opposing it. Did the corporate lobbyists and consultants finally win de Blasio over, because it's still a bad plan.

The fact that a bad plan - Congestion Pricing - is back again, is yet another symptom of what's wrong with our society and government. What do I mean by this? I mean that this is the ONLY NYC public transit plan I've seen floating around the halls of Albany over the past decade, since I began reporting on NYC social and political issues. And the state of NYC's mass transit system is one of the biggest single issues of the time.

Congestion Pricing is one bad plan, that keeps coming back at the initiative of the private industrialists who will profit from it, while it appears that NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE at the State level to come up with a plan of their own. A plan that would have at its core serving the public good - not serving the good of a few private interests. This is what broken, inept government looks like.

Quite frankly, I could come up with a better plan to solve NYC's traffic problem than Congestion Pricing, on the back of an envelope, in an hours time.

 

The Real Solution to Traffic Congestion is Expanding Mass Transit Infrastructure

The real problem, which I pointed out in the report I first did on NYC Congestion Pricing Plan, is that the city is operating its mass transit using a system designed and built between 80 and 100 years ago. Things have changed and the system hasn't.

Building and maintaining infrastructure costs money, and unfortunately Albany with its cast of political characters, is going about addressing the problem backwards.

Albany wants to raise money first - and then figure out how it's going to spend the money later.

As any savvy investor knows, that's almost always a bad deal.

I'll post more at a later date on Gale Brewer's Town Hall on Congestion Pricing.

What's expressed above may reflect the overall sentiment [it was generally negative] expressed at the Town Hall - but the particulars above are mine.


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Senator Susan Collins Votes to Confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court
brett kavanaugh donald trump adolph hitler trump destroying american democracy supreme court justice nominee brett kavanaugh maine senator susan collins votes to confirm brett kavanaugh trump nominee supreme court justice

Kavanaugh Epilogue: Onto the Midterms?

Collins' Speech, McConnell Cash & What will the Donald do if Republicans win the Senate?

Update October 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Susan Collins Speech - Honest ... but?

Susan Collins gave a speech explaining to the American people why she was going to vote to approve Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. She reaffirmed what I have stated below, which that it was not a court proceeding, but rather a confirmation hearing which does not require a standard of being beyond reasonable doubt.

Collins went on to say that none of the people Christine Blasey Ford named as attendees at the party, could remember or verify their attendance at the party. And that she thought that to be fair to Brett she would vote for him, since the allegations of sexual assault were not confirmed. BUT she did not talk about any of the other allegations noted above, nor did the 'limited' investigation attempt to get at the root of those, including whether Kavanaugh had lied under oath.

Mitch McConnell's Gloating & Telling the Big Ones?

Mitch McConnell told Fox News that he was proud he and his fellow Republicans had stood up to the mob. The mob he was talking about was comprised of the American people that he often times uses as cover to justify the work he does for the people he is really serving. McConnell's campaign, or indirectly the McConnell's personally, accept oodles of cash from the super rich corporate donors, the Chinese with which his father-in-law does business, and the Russian oligarchs who are newcomers to the Mitch McConnell selling out of America program. Russian Oligarch companies donated $2.5 million to McConnell campaigns, $7.5 million to Republicans in general including Senator Lindsay Graham, and allegedly $30 million to the NRA, which is believed to have used that money in support of the Trump Campaign.

Thus, contrary to Mitch McConnell's claims to the contrary, in reality he stood up AGAINST the American people IN FAVOR the rich and powerful, including the Chinese and Russian Oligarchs, because Kavanaugh reportedly rules in favor of the corporate establishment over 80% of the time - against the American consumer, against American's health aka the environment and against American small business.


Kavanaugh Epilogue: Onto the Midterms?

Collins' Speech, McConnell Cash & What will the Donald do if Republicans win the Senate?

Update October 7, 2018 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

Continued.

 

How Ineffective the Leaders of the Democratic Party?

Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose speeches sound like an undertaker at a funeral, told America they should vote. Grandma Nancy Pelosi continues telling the press she doesn't plan to impeach Trump. Some pundits say that if ever there were a president that the Founding Fathers had in mind for impeachment - Trump would be it.

These two remind me of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1939. Chamberlain ceded the Czech Sudetenland in order to appease Hitler. Appeasing narcissistic leaders never works. It only emboldens them. These two Democratic leaders seem to speak without any conviction in what they are saying. There's never any passion. Contrast that with Lindsay Graham's Oscar winning performance on Thursday, September 27th, 2018 when he lashed out at Democrats, and spun the conversation completely around from Kavanaugh's alleged sexual assault, to portraying Kavanaugh as the victim.

Neither of these two leaders seem to get much press because they are simply uncharismatic speakers. The reason these two bi-coastal pols are in the top leadership positions is because they are accomplished fundraisers, and they live and work with those who have access to large sums of cash. I've come to think of Schumer and Pelosi as accountants, because oftentimes that's what they sound like. And the Democrats missed what was going on in the heartland in 2016, because nobody from the nation's heartland holds any of the top Democratic party leadership posts.

Both of the major parties are owned by big money. The American voter will only be listened to when they stop getting their information from the multi-million dollar ad campaigns and skewed [or in Fox News case, propagandistic] reporting that feeds voters' decision-making process. The American voters must free themselves from the corporate broadcast press by using the internet to inform themselves, in the same fashion as Trump used Twitter to bypass them. There are reliable information sources out there that are doing real journalism designed to inform about what's really going on in this country, not 'journalism' designed to get ratings. But you need to look for them.

If the Democrats want to win the Senate they need to change the conversation to how Trump has failed the American people on healthcare insurance, how he has stolen $ trillion(s) from America's children through his tax plan that makes the rich richer by borrowing on their backs, how Trump has weakened America by ramping up the national deficit through his tax cuts and runaway spending on a bloated military designed for a prior age, and how Trump has weakened America's position in the world by his reckless trade disputes with our economic and military allies, [Trump appears to essentially be rebranding the American trade agreements so he can claim them as his own]. All the while befriending dictators, hostile foreign powers and weakening the position of democracies around the world. Trump has also appointed more justices into the court system than any modern president, and this trend will continue if the Democrats don't win back the Senate. The Democrats could also make a plea to the American people to reinstate some decency into what is now the Washington cesspool swirling around the Donald.

 

Best Argument for a Democratic Senate

The last and perhaps most important argument for urging voters to support Democratic Senate candidates is that if the Republicans win the Senate in November, Trump will likely fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions, as well as Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller.

Trump is also reportedly preparing to shuffle around the top generals in the U.S. Military. And without a Democratic Senate, the checks and balances regarding Trump's personnel changes will only function in the most limited manner.

And then things could get really weird. Like they got weird in 1933 in Germany?

 

Fox News & Trump Republicans: Portrayed Alleged Sex Offender as a Victim

Murdoch's Fox News, Trump and the Republicans have shown they are not respectful of women, as we saw in the Kavanaugh hearings.

Trump, Murdoch's Fox News and the Republicans spun the discussion about Kavanaugh completely around. They took it from a serious look at the alleged character failings of a nominee to a lifetime position on the Supreme Court, and made the alleged sex offender look like he was the one being victimized.

But Trump, Murdoch's Fox News and the Republicans didn't provide support for those claims - as Kavanaugh didn't submit to a lie detector test while the three alleged sexual offense victims did, he didn't agree to an FBI investigation which the three sex offense victims did, and in the end the Trump FBI 'limited' investigation seemed designed to give the Republicans cover when attacked for managing an unfair process that didn't seek to unearth the truth about the character of a man who now holds a lifetime position on the Supreme Court.

As noted by Susan Collins' comments above, Kavanaugh may be innocent as the claims are unsubstantiated. But that said, there were certainly many, far better candidates who did not have what appear to be the possibility of so many character flaws, and Kavanaugh's almost certain lack of impartiality.

The Donald & Adolph: Historic Parallels of Mass Manipulation

I am reminded of an Adolph Hitler quote here,

"I shall give a propagandist reason for starting the war [or whatever - like limiting an investigation], no matter whether it is plausible or not. The victor will not be asked afterwards, whether he told the truth or not. When starting and waging war it is not right that matters but victory. Close your hearts to pity. Act brutally ... The strongest man is right."

Hitler was the first and most effective user of modern media as a propaganda machine designed to mass manipulate people's perceptions, so he could enlist their support to do whatever he wanted.

How Hitler came to power is an under examined process, and this lack of awareness regarding how Hitler undermined the German democracy through the use of lies, deceits and mass media manipulation, is why the Democrats and corporate media are failing us now.

For more detail on how Rupert Murdoch uses his media properties as a propaganda machine - see our report series on Fox Fake News. Click here to learn more about Trump corruption



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